Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1895-05-24
THE GASES OF MARS.
Interesting Possibilities Dependent Upon
an Alleged Discovery.

Interesting Possibilities Dependent Upon
an Alleged Discovery.
In Popular Astronomy, Percival Lo-
we'll Of the Lowell observatory, Arizona,
discr ses the "oases" Of Mars. BE OBJ
served last summer that the canals slow
" appeared in way to Indicate that
they were seasonal and that round, dark
spots slowly developed after the canals
and at their intersection. As time passed
the spots deepened in color, leading to
the conclusion that vegetation was con-
cerned in the phenomenon. The same
condition was noted i'll the canals them
selves, indicating that vegetation along
the banks caused them to be visible and
to appear double.
In nearly very case the spots were cir
cular and averaged about l20 miles in
diameter. This circular form is an evil
dence to Mr.. Lowell that the system is
artificial, as he reasons chat if the for
nation was natural the GASES would be
concave between the intersecting canals
instead of convex This contention is
reasonable, and, taken in connection with
the fact that in most cases more than
two canals intersect at a single oasis,
furnishes a good argument in favor Of
the theory that the canal system is az
tifcial His statement of the case is GER
tainly very ingenious, if it is not con-
elusive He says: eff one were to draw
lines at haphazard over the surface Of 4
globe, he would find that, although
crossings Of two lines would occur
plentifully enough, crossings Of more
than two lines would occur practic !ly
never. " He saw no less than nine ca is
ccntering or intcrsccting at one circular
spot or oasis. In nearly all cases more
than two lines Of canal cross in one place
marked by a spot. One can best demon
strate the difficulty Of haphazard inter
section at one point Of more than two
lines by drawing lines at random on a
blank sheet Of paper After the export
ment has been tried the force Of Mr..
Lowell's reasoning will be evident 1t
is certainly the strongest presentatis1 yet
made in favor Of the theory thai the
canals are artificial
The arrangement by which several
canals are made to intcrsect at one point
would utilize to the best advantage the
water annually flowing from one pole
to the other over the desert Of the equa-
torial regions as the SHOWS about one
pole melt. There must be time when
the flow Of water in the canals nearly
! ceases. This must be when summer ends
at one pole and winter is just beginning
to give way to spring in the other. The
seasons come and 90 so slowly that there
are no floods, but merely a change III the
direction Of flow Of water from one pole
to the other across the equator. During
the opposition Of Mars last season the
southern pole was presented to Us, anC
when first observed the snow cap was OF
| large dimensions. 1t melted under the
| heat Of advancing summer, and as tho
water flowed nolthward through the
canals vegetation revived and the line
and spots became visible in the telescope
If the observations Of Mr. Lowell are
accurate, he has gone a long way toward
showing design in the canals and the
round spots or GASES. 1t will remain fo
astronomers to test the accuracy Of hi
seeing. keeping in view the explanation
that has been advanced There is pos
sibility that Mr. Lowell, aided by othe
observers, may demonstrate at the mex
opposition that Mars is inhabited
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.