The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-05-02

while on the other the landscape expands;
you see that Mars revoiyes on his axis,
and that the ends of the axis are the frozen
poles as with US. There is a further re-
sembiance in the inclination in the axis
which provides that on this planet also
the seasons follow each other IN regular
succession. The ice crust at the poles dl-
minishes in summer, affording demonstra-
ton, not only that Mars is influenced by
the suns rays precisely as we are, but also
that the air and water are identical with
ours. In fact, the meteorology OF Mars IS
now being reduced TO a science.
Judging the two planets by superficial
characteristics, however, one must admit
distinction, implying a higher degree OF
development in Mars. The continents of
the earth seen from a distance, present q
very torn appearance, and occupy scarcely
third of its surface, while Mars is girdled
on both sides of the equator by one con-
tlnuous mainland, intersected by net
work of canals and rivers, the land occu-
plying approximately three-fourths of the
whole area of the planet, and the water
only one-tourth, as consequence of which,
it may be that its atmosphere is less
clouded and vapor-laden than ours.
Peculiarly characteristic is the arrange
mentln which the geological nature OF Mars
has laid out the streams (canals?) All our
streams, without exception. are tortuous,
and ali increase in width as they near the
ocean. On Mars, on the contrary, the
streams flow in straight lines and are of
uniform width from source to mouth.
These streams, from 20 to 100 kiiometers
apart, have their banks so well defined as
to suggest the idea that they are subject
to intelligent regulation. 1t is hardly pos
sible to conceive that two parallel canals,
intersected at right angles by third as in
Opher land, can be the work of the ele-
mentary forces of nature The question
suggests itself again by the two canals
which tiow from ocean to ocean through
the island Hellas, crossing each other at
right angles in the center Not less ques-
tionable is the origin of the great blue
Lake of the Sun, in the center of Kepler
land, with its three rectilinear canals con-
Meeting it with the ocean.
Ever and ever the question recufs: Is it
possible that the crust of planet, whose
density is only seven-tenths less (sic) than
that OF the earth, can be SO yielding that
the streams at their origin encountered no
impeachment to their direct course? Or
have they really been regulated by the in
habltants of Mars-an engineering feat,
presenting, perhaps, few serious difficult
ties?
But what most excites our establishment
in connection with these canals is that
almost every one of them is double, i. e., it
has its parallel canal alonside of it, but
visible at intervals only. This has thor
oughiy perplexed all Investigators. The
earth has nothing analogous to aid US to a
solution. On this account the return of
Mars is looked forward to with consider
able interest. The improvement in opti-
cal instruments within the past decade
may probably help to solve the riddle. or
what is perhaps more probable, may pre-
sent more riddles for our solution. The
occasion of Mars next return will be the
first time for fifteen years that we shall
have an opportunity of examining his
South polar region. Apart from the scien-
tifc interest which attaches to these obser-
vations, it is an immense gain to our intel
leetual culture, to overthrow the pride,
born of ignorance, which in earlier GEN.
turtles prompted man to regard this Earth
as the one inhabited sphere in the uni
verse. Equal rights for all planets appears
to be the law of nature, which certainly
has not expended all her forces on this
dark clod of ours.