Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-28
GREEN ON THE MOON.
Louis Gathmann Tells why He Thinks
1t IL Vegetation.

Louis Gathmann Tells why He Thinks
1t IL Vegetation.
CHICAGO, September 2S.--Before a COM
pany Of twenty-five more friends and
| neighbors. who met at his residence last
night, Louis Gathmann exhibited a model
of his sectional lens telescope. He also
answered the objections made by Astrono-
mers Hale and Burnham to his announce
ment that he had disco yered what seemed
to be signs Of vegetation on the moon
In answer to the objection that astron-
omers with excellent telescopes had never
seen a green spot on the moon, Mr. Gath
mann said: There can be but two rea-
sons for this fact. First, no first-class
telescopes were in use for making observa-
lions the night 1 saw the spot. Second. II
observations were made the telescopes were
Inferior to mine
Mr.. Gathmann said his sectional lens had
been examined by Prof. Colbert. who said
II had excellent definition and would prove
OF great interest to the whole scientific
world. Many eminent engineers had pro-
nounced the sectional lens instrument SUI
perior to any instrument of the same size
"A O-inch built-up lens" Mr.. Gathmann
said, with clear glass Of even density.
will be equal liz power to any telescope
that has forty-inch solid lens"
He then spoke of his observation Of a
green spot on the moon follows:
About . O'Clock on the evening of Au-
gust II. in sweeping with my telescope
over the face of the moon, l saw a spot of
vivid green in the midst of mountains in
the valley of Sinus Roris. Green is a color
hitherto unknown to me among the shades
OF the moon. l thought there might be
an error somewhere and changed the eye
piece six times. 1t was there each time
a well-defined space of green. The idea of
1t being an error of the telescope Is out of
the question, because when allowing the
moon to pass through the whole field of
the glass the strange spot kept stationary
on the moon with every magnifying power
used Seven persons besides myself saw it,
and 1t is not to be suspected that all of us
We're color blind.
If Luna mas a fora it must be far diff
ferent from ours, because the conditions on
the moon are vastly different from those of
our earth. Science has not progressed so
far as to determine the atmosphere pre-
vailing on the moon. In fact, all the ele-
mcnts Of the earths atmosphere are not
positively known. To say that vegetation
cannot exist on such a large planet is to
make an assertion which cannot be proved.
That Luna should be without animal life
cannot understand. On earth, in the
arctic region, where the cold Is intense
the year round, we find the polar bear, the
whale and other animals suited to the cli-
mate and the conditions. If men had never
known of the existence OF these animals
and II we common men were asked If such
animals could exist there. We would say
we do not know But most scientific men
graduated from our universities would
simply say no. because If scientific men did
not know OF their existence they would
conclude that such animals could not ex-
list there. That there Is vegetation on the
moon Is highly probable, but 1t does not
follow that the color should be green. The
greenish tint observed August IL may have
been a rare exception"
In conclusion, Mr.. Gathmann said he be-
iieved the Inhabitants Of Mars We're making
signals to the earth, and he thought COM
munication between neighboring planets
by means Of signals would eventually be
established.