Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-10-04
A GREEN spot ON The MOON
Surprising Discoveries of Mr..
Louis Gathmann,
THE MOON MAY HAVE ANIMAL LIFE
People on Mars Trying to
Signal the Earth.


CHICAGO, ILL.,, Sept. 2S.-Bcfore a
company of rs or more friends and
neighbors who met at his residence last
night, Louis Gathmann exhibited a
model of his sectional lens telescope.
Ho also answered the objections made
by Astronomers Hale and Burnham to
his announcement that he had discov'
cred what seemed to be signs of yegeta-
ton on the moon. In answer to the
objection that astronomers with excel
lent telescopes had never seen a green
spot on the moon, Mr.. Gathmann said:
"There can be but two reasons for this
fact. First, no tirst-class telescopes
were in use for making observations the
night ] saw the spot. Second, if obser-
vations were made, the telescopes were
inferior to NINE"
Mr.. Gathmann said his sectional lens
had been examined BY Professor Col
bert, who said 1t had excellent definition
and would prove of great interest to the
whole scientific world. Many eminent
engineers had pronounced the sectional
lens instrument superior to any instru-
ment of the same size.
"a 20.inch built up lens" Mr.. Gath
mann said, with clear glass of even
density, will be equal in power to any
telescope that has 40.inch solid lens" "
THE FLORA OF THE MOON.
Then he spoke Of his observation of a
green spot on the moon as follows;
"About 0 o'clock on the evening of
August 10Th, in sweeping with my tele-
scope over the face of the moon saw a
spot of vivid green in the midst of
mountains and valley of Sinus RoIis.
Green is color hitherto unknown to
me among the shades of the moon. |
thought there might be an error some
where and changed the eye piece six
times. II was there each time, we'll
defined space of green. The idea of it
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 1t, so it is not to be
supposed that all Of us were color
| blind.
"If Luna has flora II must be far
different from ours, because the condi-
tions ON the moon are vastly different
| from those OF our earth. Science has
not progressed so far as to determine the
atmosphere prevailing on the moon. In
| fact, all the elements of the earth's
atmosphere are not positively known.
To say that vegetation cannot exist on
such planet, is to mako 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 yeai
round, we find the Polar bear, the whale
and other animals suited to the climate
and the conditions. If men had never
known of the existence of these animals
and if we common men were asked il
such animals could exist there, We
would say, we do not know
"But most scientific men graduated
from our universities would simply say
mo- Because scientific men did no
know of their existence they woult
conclude that such animals could no
exist there. That there is vegetation OF
the moon is highly probable but it doe:
not follow that the color should b,
green. The greenish tint observed
August 18th may have been rare ex
ception."
In conclusion Mr.. Gathmann said III
believed the inhabitants of Mars wer,
making signals to the earth, and Ii,
thought communication between neigh
boring planets by means of signal
would eventually be established