Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-16
CONFUSION ON MARS.
An Improvement in the Big Telescope
on Observatory Hill
SHOWS SOME WONDROUS CHANGES.
Oceans and Continents Rapidly Changing
Their Locations.
KEEPING TIE INHABITANTS HUsTLING

A new steel tube for the great telescope
in the Allegheny Observatory was mounted
Sunday afternoon, and Prof Keeler is much
pleased with the Improvement in his pet
instrument. The old tube was of wood
With steel tube the image is much more
clearly defined than with wooden one
The steel tube more rapidly equalizes the
temperature. One degree difference of tenn
perature between the two sides of the tube
would very materially injure the definition
OF the image.
The new tube, Is feet long, was made by
Prof Brashear, and he and his whole
force of workmen were occupied all after
noon in putting it into place and adjusting
the many sppurtenances to 1t in the way of
finding glasses, levers, etc. A few of the
outer pieces are yet to be attached.
The work being so far finished Sunday
night that the telescope was again ready
for use Prof Keeler took his place in the
blue dome and set the great instrument for
another study of the fiery planet which is
now occupying the attention of astronomers
the world over.
One Island Splits Into Two.
He was delighted TO find that his view of
Mars was the best and clearest yet obtained.
The atmosphere was lucid. the new tube
gave clearer outline and the bright planet
was seen in unwonted splendor
Prof Keeler is giving his attention to
the markings on the planets surface. He
devoted himself Sunday night to a certain
spot on the planet, which he studied care
fully and of which he made a neat map
This map, when compared yesterday with
the plan of Schiaparelli and another map of
the planet, both made in 1888, showed that
great changes are taking place on the sur
lace of Mars. The spot viewed by Prof
keeler was on the border of the great
Northern Sea- There, in the old map, was
well-defned inland lake, surrounded by
circular rim of land, on the one side iutting
into the ocean, and on the other being sep
arated from the mainland by canals At
present this round island with its little lake
in the center has divided into two islands,
each having a central lake. This has taken
place in four years, and denotes rapid alter
ations in land and sea. But this is not the
emily change observable.
Very Lively Times on the Planet
The land in Mars is of a clay color, while
the ocean shows watery green. The outer
rim of land around the lake closest to the
sea does not reveal clear yellowish tinge.
but is becoming gradually green, showing
that the ocean is overfiowing the land
slowly but surely. Out in the sea beyond
this point there was four years ago bright
little island, one of the most distinct spots
on the Martial landscape. This island has
grown considerably in size, and begins to
take on the proportions of a continent As
the ocean retreats from it and leaves its
surface larger and larger, the water en-
eroaches correspondingly on the low parts
of the mainland.
Some of these changes indicate that Mars
is going through period of convulsion
such as the earth experienced in the prehis-
toric ages, when there we're great and rapid
changes in the outlines of land and seas
Where there were then great seas there are
now mountains and plains, and where the
mythical Atlantis reared its green slope
now roll the wild waters of the Atlantic If
there are inhabitants in Mars they have
lively time of it.