The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-03

but repeating the history of our satel-
lite, and a time will come when. like the
moon, the earth will radiate off into space
all of its internal heat and the atmos-
phere and oceans which are now kept on
the surface by the subterranean fires,
viii be absorbed into the porous mass.
Life on this earth will then become ex-
tinct, and almost every form of physical
or chemical energy as now manifested
be reached through very gradual pro-
cess extending over millions of years, but
it is the certain cosmic prognosis of our
of the other seven planets which re-
volve around the sun so little is GER
tainly known of their real physical condi-
tions that the question of their habitabii:-
ty becomes almost wholly one of cOniec-
ture. The nearest approach we ever make
to any of the planets is 26,O00,OOO miles, In
the case of Venus at inferior conjunction,
when her dark side is turned toward us.
Even then she is more than 100 times as
far rom us as the moon, hence the tele-
scope cannot help us much. The writer
had the pleasure of observing this bril-
liant planet last July through the great
Lick equatorial under the most favorable
conditions of position and illumination,
and what was seen afforded a
very narrow basis for drawing
satisfactory conclusion concerning
of the evening sky. The planet, which
at that time looked like the crescent
MOON appeared to be completely shroud-
ed inedense white clouds of high rejecting
power. No solid land was seen beneath
these clouds Indeed it has been said
that no one has ever yet seen the body
of the planet itself. That it has dense
atmosphere seems certain, but what may
be it's climatic conditions we can only
CONCERNING the planet Mercury, still
nearer the sun, but little more is known
than of Venus. The proximity of these
two planets to the sun renders It certain
that they receive from it much more heat
and light than we do. In the case of
Venus it is double, and in that of Mer-
curry il is from five to ten times as much.
1t is quite possible that this intense heat
may be so modified by the atmosphere
surrounding the planets as to admit or
the existence of some form OF lie, though
taking all the conditions into considera-
ton It is probable that no high forms
of life can exist upon either Mercury or
The planet Mars, which is the next to
the earth from the sun, seems TO possess
more possibilities for life than any Of
the other planets. 1t is about one-seventh
the size of the earth. and its distance
is such as to give it less than one-halt the
light and heat which we receive from
the sun. It's axis is so inclined as to give
it four seasons nearly the same as those
upon the earth, with the exception That
Its surface gravity is only thirty-eight
one-hundredths of that on the earth; that
is, a man weighing $50 pounds upon the
earth would weigh upon Mars only 81
pounds Mars has an atmosphere, wa
ter, precipitation, etc.-indeed 1t is very
similar to our earth in many important
its surface certain markings resembling
those which our seas and continents
would present to an observer looking upon
the earth from the same distance. Upon
each pole alternately appear and disap-
pear with the changing seasons white
caps resembling snow. The rapidly with
which they melt away as summer APP
proaches has suggested the idea that they
are heavy deposits of white frost, rather
than of snow.
Mars is both an older and a smaller
world than our own, and hence more ad-
vanced in its cosmic life. 1t is probable
that its mountains have nearly all been
leVeled down by the long erosion, and
much of its water and its atmosphere
has already been absorbed into its porous
mass. Indeed, it appears that water,
which was al one time plentiful on Mars,
is now at a premium.
The telescope reveals upon the planet
a curious network of varying colored
bands, known as the canals of Mars"
one of the latest and best supported the
cries concerning these so-called canals
is that they are vast tracts of vege-
tation bordering : the huge irrigation
bitches which the Marian Inhabitants
have constructed upon a gigantic scale
to distribute and economic their scant
water supply. These canals vary in
width from twenty to one hundred miles,
and their regularity of form and pecu-
liarity of construction strongly suggest
the idea of their artificial origin.
There is an important mechanical con-
sideration in connection with the work