Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-08-05
SCHIAPARELLI TALKS.
The italian Astronomer Thinks MARI a
Inhabited-A Theory ~ to the CanHis.

The italian Astronomer Thinks Mar a.
1nhabited-A Theory ~ TO the Canals.
A special cable dispatch 10 the Philadelphia
Press4rom Milan says: Prof. Schiaparelli. the
Industrious astronomer, WAS seen here today
He has known Of the progress OF the observa-
lions by the Lick astronomers, with whom he
has been in correspondence. and expressed
great admiration for the American enterprise
which had brought their splendid observatory
into existence at so great a cost. Prof schiapa-
relli was asked what was the probable cause Of
failure by other astronomers in some cases to
see what he had seen.
There might" he said 'be two causes for the
diversity Of observation. The first OF these is
the different acromatism of the telescopes
The visibility Of certain stars depends much
more upon the suitability of the instruments
rejecting certain colored rays than upon the
size OF the instruments themselves.
The second cause for the variability Of OBJ
servations Is habit. The eve, 1 think should be
habituated to the observation of certain stars
1t was only after fourteen years work in OBJ
serving Mars that l saw the details OF the image
with any clearness. and after that further
details appeared. The California astronomers,
who appear TO be doing such excellent work
with their fine instruments, could thus probably
be enabled TO see next year many things not
apparent now.
"Some newspapers" he continued, shave
attributed TO me the idea Of finding in the
duplication Of the lines of Mars a proof that
the planet was inhabited. and this they thought
was based upon the superstition that the lines
were the work of reasoning beings. 1 never
said anything Of the kind. Natural forces may
have followed out these deep canals fifty to
100 kilometres long. Why they are double il il
impossible to say and il would be idle in an
astronomer to set up an hypothesis for dis
eussion. 1t would still require long and
laborious observations before we could know
definitely from what could be seen that Mars
was sustaining life."
"Do you not. however. believe that Mars now
is inhabited, IL not by human beings. then by
some lower order OF the animal kingdom"
II am convinced of the habitability OF the
planet, replied Schiaparelli, but my convic-
tion on that point Is based upon many other
things than simple observations. The condi-
tions which prevail in Mars see to approximate
more closely those of the earth than Is the case
with any other heavenly body. 1t would in
deed be strange il globe like ours, in many of
its important features, should exist without
life Of some kind. especially when we know
that such life would be impossible on the earth
were such conditions absent. Thus naturallste
and philosophers would say that it 10 much
easier to show that animal life exists on Mars
than that 1t does not. The burden OF proof,
therefore, rests upon those who deny such e,-
istence."
During the present opposition Of Mars Prof.
Schiararelli has been nightly on the scene OF
his labors, watching the planet through his now
famous instrument and making such additions
to his map as his keen eyesght has been enabled
to detect. His canal theory is widely known
here among the common people, who regard
the professor with q reverential awe. and would
believe him if he said there were gondolas on
the seas of Mars.