The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-08-27

those we now possess respecting this
new world of Mars, but what wonders
has not the science Of the future in store
for our successors, and who shall dare
say that mankind of Mars and the man
kind of this earth will not one day be
able to communicate with one another?
A generation will pass away and progress
will continue it's upward way.
Astronomers are not agreed as to the
nature Of these strange formations.
That the continents of Mars are crossed
by a network of lines, often perfectly
straight and of geometrical aspect, is
undoubted by all who have studied the
question, but it is difficult to decide
what is the origin of these tracings.
Mouths OF the principal ones seem to
be those OF former rivers. Nevertheless,
they are not real rivers, because they do
not have an origin IN shut in land. but
run direct from one sea to another, and,
further. because they cross each other.
This leads to the conclusion that they
are water courses on the same level be
tween fiat ground.
1t has been found that the effects of
time on the geographic surface of con
tinents MARS is older than the esrthl is
to tlatten them. 1t is probable that
four or five million years hence, all land
on earth will be leveled.
On the other hand it is probable the
canals are water, because they are the
same color as the seas of Mars, because
they communicate with the seas, and
because they change in width and ever
position. Are they for that reason full
of water? Certainly there is nothing to
prove it is their vegetation, tender, per-
haps, SO science does not forbid the sup
position hat the inhabitants OF Mars
were able to change the course of the
old rivers with a view of making a gen
eral distribution of the water-already
become scarce. but in places threaten
ing the surface of the continents flat
tened by the wear and tear of the ages.
This is one hypothesis. It is not op-
posed to scienhe. 1t is to be feared
that 1t will never be possible to explain
the canals of Mars by leaving out of
sight the possibility of an identical rec
LITIGATION of the water courses, any more
than the astronomers of Venus could
explain our railway systems, if they per.
sisted in refusing to admit any other in
tluence affecting the surface of the earth
than the blind forces of nature. We
cannot say this is: we can only say this
might be; and should any better ex-
PLANTATION of things that have been ob.
served on Mars be forthcoming we are
quite prepared to accept il. the above
being only provisional. Until better ap.
pears it is beyond doubt.
1t has been observed that at certain
seasons these canals have been doubled.
formed of two parallel lines. This extra
ordinary pheOmenon was first observed
in 1881. 1t will probably not be seen
this year. because it only occurs in the
spring and autumn of Mars. that is to
say. %equinoXes, and not in the summer
and because the inhabitants of Mars are
approaching their soltsice; but whether
they NAV be seen or not this year. they
exist. 1t is more difficult to explain
them than even the canals. May they
not be due to some atmospheric ~refract-
ion. caused by crystals of ice. as happens
with us, producing halos and parhelia
resembling more or less the double re-
fraction!
However it may be in regard to en-
listing problems set by our %neighboring
planet We may state that Mars, of all
the planets in our system, is the most
interesting though its resemblance and
differences from u earthly habitation.
We can only repeat what Herschel said
more than a year ago: Its inhabitants
probably enjoy a situation in many re-
spects similar to ours"
Novelty has always an especial attrac-
ton for us. This is the first time since
the origin of mankind that we have dis.
covered in the skies a new world sufici-
emily like ourown to excite much won-
der.