New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-09-19
Is MARS INHABITED?
REASONS FOR D1sAGREEING WITH GENERAL
GREEDY, WHO CALLS TIE ASSUME
TON UNREASONABLE.

TON CNRtASONAbLE'
TO the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: paragraph in your Issue OF August q ''"vH
that General A. W Greely regards IT nm unreasoh-
obi. ossumnton IN think that tho planet Mars Is IN,
habi,cd by n rare at all like human beings IN lh''n
Ucncc and CIVILIZATION II Is pardonable ana per-
haps natural for General Grcely to thmh We "'o
smarter than all creation. but when we gasp rs III.
as the hnman Intellect will allow the vast schene Vi
tn. universe and consider the conditions pre'aihhs
on Mars, II does not seem unreasonable 10 suppos"
that Il Is inhabited by living creatures hot Hhc'''
b human beings on the earth
While tho diameter Of Mars Is 4'4oo miles, 'ooie
thing more than half the diameter Of the carth ana
II Is distant 10000. 900 miles from the sum- tN
length OF It's day sderia revolution Is hihio7'
Identical with that OF the earth and It's density IS
about the same as the earth's. II has an atmosphere
Of moderate height, with oceans ana continents anu
other conditions favorable TO the support Of life. It's
longer orbit around the makes Its year Oo' DAYS
long. and It's diminished light because Of It's greater
distance from our daily uminary is partially II not
entirely made M for by two moons, the nearest ana
smallest one being only ten miles In diameter al
distance Of only 1000 miles, which must ave con
siderable light, and it, rapid notion cAceerhs "'al
II the planet, It to rise In the west ana se'
IN the east which 1t does three times every day. as II
makcsa complete revolution around the planet every
eight hours The larger moon. forty miles In diam
ctor l.o 900 miles from Mars, acts veiy inuch hAo
our own satellite
.The analogy between Mars and the earth said
sir W. Horschcl "is perhaps by far the greatest IN
.,o rhoIc solor systcm Their dlurnal motion Is
ncorly th, same: the oblqulty Of their respective
ecHptcs not very different Of NIL the superior pane
tho distance Of Mars from the sun IS by far the near
cst Mike 10 that Of the earth, nor VIII the ehSth
~ the Martial year appear very different from what
We enjoy when compared with the surprising AURA
lion OF the years Of Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus
fNcptune had not then been discovered, when mas Il
ycur oaualing i65 of the years upon the earthJ II
ro then IND that the globe inhnblt has lis polar No
ytons frozen and covered with lee and snow. mat ony
PARTIALLY melts when alternately exposed To the sum-
NAV we'll be permitted surmlse that the same causes
may have the effect the globe OF Mars That mo
bright polar spots are owing TO the vivid rchccuoh
~ light from frozen regions. and that thr reduction
OF these spots Is ascrb,d their being annually cx
posed the SUM-.
Since IIerschers day tho spectroscopc has been IN
vented. which has fully demonstrated what to nun
was n mere snrlnisc And Professor Proctor has eaid
that on the whole II must be admitted that MARS
present, features which are accustomed 10 aS,ocae
with he requirements Of living beings lhnhe
Inntar which seems be IN the condition In whicn
our ,arth was while undergoing the changes which
fitted Il TO be the abode Of men ana animals MarS ~
certainly In II condition 10 sustain NE ana WINE
there is no present proof of It's existence there uucr
the wisdom Of the AllWsc crc9tor, IL does n9t seem
at all unreasonable to suppose That Is lnhabltt 10y
Intelligent beings, though possibly they have not az
tanccd 80 far rs TO 70 expeditions to thcr pomr
regions and bnck awe. 800 W. H. H.
Spakanc Wash, Aug. IT. 15T2.