The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-06-30
FLASH LIGHTS FOR AARs.
~ the People Of That Flahet = nsad
Good morse u Onshs y Work.

~ ths People o. That Plaast Can nsad
Cood Moree II Oushs - Work.
Probably ~ most intelligent suagsatton
yet thrown ont Tor exchanging sl9nall Wtsh
1he Inhabitants Of Tho planet 1ays, II any
such there DO, 10 made By Nj. y. ELLSWORTH
Carey. II ID that Z psSfectly level Ares.
~ ID least iiya miles n diameter. not ~
ths vicinity 81 hills OF mounNAinss " cav
ared vith 8 uniformly black cuAting Of
earthly sand Or coal duat. This area 10 70
s. covered with Ras jets OF electric etes.
placing the illustrating points about three
Isl apart. That wonld Isquirs rome
100000 polnts of intenss osililanoy, 49,
s u; e sa ~. ss,sse y. w q d,s .sss ~, sh.a ". 20
earth Wa sufasisnsIy far ava from CON
ipncSion ! he ssen while tho sun was below
She halt or twilight.
Tho plan II . % construct and onn,eo
thsss signal lights that The turning 81 . key
~ S1ala Ts easss s. Il%ia as,nss : & is9i 5. MADE sa.I.
10 appear and disappear - rsauley inter.
walls. Suppose ~ first the intsy!val bstween
the flashes Vas three seconde 2 the
Aaahsa continued i've seconea IAen ne
ipIsrvals and Duration u light should %
seconds, and then The series Of intervals
r6yeTsod. ~ passy argues that such sig
nails would hardly be kept mp long
without attsacting attention on Mars
n III inhabitants DO far advanced
Y ia%s.lllgenHSss. a%sysleRnasn sor,, s1c
that the earth, 10 similarly inhabited. and
that some Of its people had Constructed .
Hash light visible 10 the dwsllers Of Mars.
II also may b. expected shat they would ~
rIvo 81 the conclusion that such light Wa
maintained - : signal TO attract their ~
tsntion. Further, q may be supposed that
ments to return the signal, II possible.
though some, perhaps many. yeafs might
elepcS before they could respond In .
ner We should understand.
This isa pretty theory. says the Chicago
having been the aIst 10 show the world how
iuterplanetaIy communication 70 possible.
BuS there atilI remains the qusstion-ts IL
practicnbls3 For the present.. - least.
that must Be answered with . decidsd neg
ative. II ID not likely that any man. Or
enormous expense involved in carrying
out this scheme, seeing that thers 10 IN
IL no suspicion Of profit, and but . prob
lsmatical amount Of glofy, not to BE-
gained till perhaps years after ne death o.
ths investor. II : generation should ever
arise On this earth that loves wisdom more
money than In trying TO bridge the gulf
that separates ms from the other members
Of the solar system, but till then IL il idle
Is expect the costly effort to be made. Still
II will do no harm for the enthusiastic ones
10 rsvsl In anticipation Of some such result
So 30 achieved BY those who will come after
them, and there 10 another view of the case
still more e~nticing to those who arc apscu-
~latiyely inclined. Some Of the philosophers
VII have studied the appearance OF
Mars think there II reason 70 suppose it,
Inhabitants are much further advanced
than ourselves In the march Of intellectual
progress, that planet having cooled down
from the original nebulous heat aooner
than it, larger brothers and sisters. the
earth. Hence II Id mot absurd TO suppose
the inhabitants Of Mars already have
been considering the problem Of inter
communication with other members Of
the solar system, and for aught We know
they have been making such signals
to US for centuries past without our
being aware Of the fact. II some Of the
lynx.eyed ones who scan the objects in the
sky through tellurio telescopes once see
changes on the surface Of Mars which they
fancy indicate that signals are In progress,
the case would be radically altered. Il
might not then be impossible to find per-
Sons willing to stand the Immense cost of
setting up and conducting . return tele-
graph apparatus, by means Of which No
may acknowledge the salutes and raise oar
selves in the estimation Of our %nsiRhbors.