The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-26

unents are cut up by gulfs and ramifica-
uohs OF various forms To the general
water system belongs an extensive series
OF small land-glrt seas. The color of the
seas Of Mars is generally brown, mixed
Win gray; but Il varies a good deal All
me rest OF the planet as far as the north
pole, Is occupied by a mass of continents
Inc color of the land surface seems TO
pc mostly orange, though in some places
II IS dark red and in others white. Some
investigators have been inclined to attrib-
Ute THIS color 10 the Marian atmosphere,
through which the surface of the planet
HlishL appear tinted, as any terrestrial
OBJECT becomes red when seen through
req glass. But this theory is untenable,
one theory against il being that the polar
SHOWS are always of the purest white
Ihere seems to be no other conclusion
IMAM that the Arean continents appear
red and yellow because they are so in fact
Besides the light and dark regions, which
are Identified respectively as representing
continents and seas, there are certain
small areas which sometimes are brown
or black, and at other times much lighter.
so that observers are puzzled as to whether
tney are land or water. The most reason
aDle notion seems to be that these areas
are huge swamps, in which the Variat ton
In depth of the water produces the di-
Verslty OF colors. In the continental mass
small dark spots are found here and there,
which are assumed to be lakes. These
lakes are not permanent bodies of water
IKE lakes on the earth; they vary in size
from season to season. and sometimes they
ever, do not apply to one enormous lake
or inland sea, called the Mare Acidalium,
IN the northern hemisphere.
All the vast extent of the continents
IS furrowed on every side by a network
OF dark lines or stripes. These stripes
traverse the planets for Ions distances
IN regular lines that do not at all resem-
bic the winding courses of our streams.
some Of the shorter ones are less than
5V0 miles long. while others are thousands
OF miles in length, occupying a quarter
or even third of a circumference OF the
planet. Some are easy to see, while 9TH
ers can hardly be discerned by a first
rate telescope, resembling the finest
disk. In breadth they vary from eigh-
teen miles to $50 miles.
These lines or stripes are the famous
canals of Mars, of which so much has
been said. 1t is certain that they are
flXed and permanent CONGREGATIONS on
the planet. one of them, called the NilOs-
yrts, has been under observation for
nearly 100 years and some of the others
for quite thirty years. Every canal opens
at its ends either into a seq. or into a
lake, or into another canal, or else into
the intersection of several other canals.
None of them have yet been seen cut off
in the middle of a continent, remaining
without beginning and without end. The
canals may intersect among themselves
at all possible angles, but by preference
they converge in Lacus Phoenicis, six in
Lunae Lacus, and six in Ismenius La
Gus.
The typical Marian canal. as described
by Schiapareili, is nearly uniform
stripe, of a dark color similar to that
of the seas. Sometimes, where it opens
upon the sea, il widens out into a great
bay, similar to the esturaries of certain
terrestrial streams The largest exam
pie of such a gulf is the Syrtis Major,
formed by the vast mouth of the Niosyr-
tbs. This gulf is not less than l,1O0 miles
in breadth, and its surface is nearly as
great as that of the Bay of Bengal. In
this case, the observer with the tele-
scope clearly sees the dark surface of
fha cd Nnrff1 aaF araf N
terruption into that Of the canal
That the lines called canals are truly
great burrows or depressions in the sur
face of the planet is proved by the phe-
nomena which are observed during the
melting of the northern SHOWS. During
the progress of the inundation the canals
of the surrounding region become blacker
and wider, being flooded with water. Final
ly, when the flood reaches its hight, all
of the yellow area comprised between the
edge of the snow and the parallel of GO
degrees north latitude is converted into
an archipelago of small Islands. This state
of things continues until the snow, re-
duced to it's minimum area, stops melting.
Then the breadth of the canal diminishes,
the temporary sea disappears, and the
yellow region regains its former appear
ance. The different phases of this vast
the seasons, astronomers were able to OBJ
serve them in detail in 1882, 1884 and 1886
when the planet presented it's northern
pole to terrestrial spectators.
1t may be concluded, therefore, that
the canals are such in fact and not only
in name The whole system was formed
has been slowly elaborated in the course
of centuries. Schiaparelli says that it is
not necessary to suppose that the canals
are the work of intelligent beings. Not
withstanding their almost geometrical
appearance, it is altogether likely that
they were produced in the process of the
evolution of the planet, just as on the
earth we have the English channel and
the channel of Mozambique Perhaps il
animals and plants exist on Mars they
depend for life mainly upon the water
supply conveyed over the continental sur
faces by these canals.
IL. .In.r.r, ~ ILL.