The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-08-06
MARS is TOO FAR.
We Can Never Hope to
Talk to Her.
so SAYS PROF. DAVIDSON.
The Signaling Scheme Is I'm
practicable.
DON'T LIKE THE NAME WIGGIN.
He Thinks Some Astronomers Have
Faculty for Seeing Things
That Are Not There.
DON'T LIKE THE NAME WIGdIN.

A correspondent at Ottawa has taken
the trouble to telegraph over the country
that Ezekiel WiggiD, the weather prophet
of that northern frontier, 'concurs" with
the opinion that people of Mars were try
ing to signal US. the bright projections
seen by M. JaveIle at the Nice Observatory
on July % being offered in evidence.
When asked about it yesterday Pro-
fessor George Davidson of the Geodetic
Survey Interrupted by stamping upon the
floor.
II knew itv' he exclaimed; II knew
it! When [ saw that telegram in the
morning paper said that there would be
a general storm of curiosity raised as to
what thought of the zorro borating testi-
mOny of Professor Ezekiel Wiggin."
1t is all very we'll to report the exact
language a man uses, but it very:often does
not convey 1.-THE of his meaning. The
energy and force is necessarily lacking,
while the expression, first of wrath, on
the professors face, that afterward shaded
down into fine scorn as he reached the
weather prophets name. there is, of
course, no way OF reproducing.
lie stood for moment in the center of
the fur rug, after he had kicked it straight
agaiu, adjusted his glasses. thrust his
hands into the depths of his rockets and
repeated the name slowly. Ezekiel Wig
gin! | would hate a man of that name
without any other provocation. | have no
more use for him than for the sloveny
weather he predicts. 1t is all rot tell
you, rot Of the worst kind, and l am sur
prised that his predictions and opinions
are preserved.
what is rot?"
This talk OF Mars signaling US. If
they had light hundred miles square
we couldn't see ii. In the first place.
there is not an iota of proof that Mars is
inhabited, and | don't believe we shall
ever have any, No real scientist has ever
fathered sucn a ridiculous proposition as
this signaling business. Some one started
the story at the last opposition of Mars
about seeing some triangular lights on the
snowcaps. Now, the idea Of any intelli-
gent people trying TO put light on snow
for other people to see fifty millions of
miles away / would have thought they
would have put them in the dark places,
wouldn't you?
The trouble is" said the professor
shaking his clothes back Into their nat
ural lines again and taking an easy chair.
THE trouble is that some people have a
special aptitude for seeing things They
want to see them-understand? Now, |
stood at big TELESCOPES in the Cam bridge
observatory with a man whose name Is
well known, and while he spoke enthusi-
astically of the bright green tint of the
planet we were studying | could not see
it at all. 1t wasn't there. Nobody but
Scaparell has seen his canals IN Mars.
Professor Pickering was making drawings
of wonderful markings on Mars at his OBJ
servatory in Peru that did not appear in
the drawings made three minutes after at
Mount Hamilton.
ION the other hand much is often made
of facts that were known ages ago to the
scientist. For instance. some fellow a
short time ago professed to have discoy-
cred bright light on the moon. 1t was
reported in the press with great huilaba-
loo. The fact is that there has been no
time within the last few ages that the light
hasn't been observable. It may be a
mounta so situated as to be especially
well Illuminated by our reflected light, or
1t may be disqualification of some kind.
At any rate it has been there long time,
and it is not likely that it is deserted
gold mine or an election bonfire"
And you don't think it likely that we
will ever know whether Mars is inhabited .
That is discouraglng.
mot necessarily. We could never do
much trading with them even if we knew
they were there-certalniy never sell them
any real estate"
1.-THE big 40-inch lens being built for the
Chicago Unlversity-they say it is too big
for utility. What do you think about
that?"
1.-THE objection is that it cannot be
handled, and / cannot see that the objec-
ton is good. There is plenty of Yankee
ingenuity lying around that, for pay, l
think, would undertake to make it work.
/ have no doubt it will be made effective.
Further than that. l am told that. so far
from the forty inches daunting- the tele-
scope men, another lens fifty inches in
diameter is being constructed. For where
and whom is a secret.
And they will not reveal the man in
Mars?"
1.-The uses of a great telescope over a
smaller one is rather In gathering light
than magnifying. For instance with a
small but powerful telescope the astrono-
mer discovered some comets too lar and
faint to measure. With the big telescope,
which collected the faint light. he meas
ured them up in five minutes. The big
lenses will no doubt make discoveries, but
We will wait until they do"
you haven't much respect for Mr..
| FlammariOD, probably Z"
The French put Flammarion in his
proper place. He is doing good work in
making astronomy popular. But ask them
| if he is a close and careful observer and
they will say no."
do you take any ore stock in Edison s
scheme to telephone to Mars than in the
| signaling scheme?"
Edison has done big things in his way
| but when he gets off the earth he will be
| out of his element. Sound. as we under
stand it, is made of waves of our atmos-
phere. 1t is not known that it will travel
through ether. These mysterious sounds
| they talk about are all connected with the
| earth and have long bren known though
lot explained. The surface of the earth
We know to be in constant motion, al
| though the most delicate spIrit-level may
| not reveal it. When we know these things
we may explain the sounds, and when it
comes to an irresponsible and unattached
weather prophet talking about signaling
to Mars"
| In word, if it were left to Professor
Davidson no sympathy would be extended
| in Virgins behalf in any emargancy.