New-York tribune., 1895-12-28
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
PERcIvAr. LOWELL on THE CANALS OF
MARS.

Schisparelll In asserting his discovery OF chan
nels or canals on the surface OF Mars only hinted
M hut did not insist upon the possibility OF these
markings being artificial. Mr. Lowell casts all
doubt aside He had with him AT the Loweii oo-
servatory. Flagstaff. Ariz. Professor w. H.
Pickering and A. r. Douglass. and the three as
sisted by the marvellous atmosphere which over
lies that region. observed the planet persistent'y
from May a. 1894 TO April 3. 1885, The results o'
these observations will he found In technicai FORM
IN the first volume OF the Annals OF the l"wei
Observatory. But of the sl7 drawings ana
sketches made. many are TO be sesn in the pres
ent work.
Mr. Lowell does not ignore the fact that some
astronomers have never been able to see the
canals on Mars He notes the objection made by
many that the markings. as shown in the draw
fnys Of those who can see them. look decidedly
artificial Thls objection he very clevery turns
70 his ov-r use The artificial appearance Ok these
lines he SAYS Is 10 ira proof OF their non-eNis'-
ence Ii only proves design. either on the par'
OF certain mundane Observers. or on the race cl
Mars II the lines really exist. II they are some
thing besides hgmsnt OF Imagination In Schia-
psrelu Flammari0n and Lowell. then the PROOF OF
design is transferred &c Mars and the Inference
Is inevitable that the planet Is Inhabited by
rational creatures capable OF devisng and carry
nleEts
Mr. Lowell and his associates adced vast NUM-
be-: OF lines and names to the map Of the planet
as seen bv schispareln. following in nomenclat-
ure the method adopted by the learned and acute
Italian astronomer This book is adorned not
merely with many pictures Of Mars as he ap-
uearea bu: w:;h a map after the pattern OF
Nercator's projection. II the bewiidering net
worn of lines or this map are wholly product oi
imagination. then they offer study in psycho!osy
not less interesting than the one they aHoIu' il
real In astronomy. Their enormous length llNdl-
ling In some cases tLat Of the greatest rivers VIZ
Garth their d:rectncss. the clean way in when
they intersect each other, are startling Inc!
provoke scepticism but then, what can even 'he
sceptic do with a narrative of Observation so c'-
cumstantial? That they are really somethihs III
tho nature of public works Mr. Lowell appears to
be convinced. His argument takes coehl@a"oe Va
details which seem to show that there must DE
coynparativcly little water on the surface Oh MATE
and tina. the atmosphere mus. be extremely
r,h, Su,,osny II were suitable to sustain hie'
tho ,anuity oe the air combined with the compara-
,ively low specific gI/vity Of the substance oi
Mans vouId render labor easy. That is To say d
sbovelcul of dirt or Mars would Only nave d II az
ton of the weight il has on the earth' anu
giant so uns'ieldy that nc could not s'ano up o,
This planet might be GIite Irishy anu "
person on the surface of Mars -
I,garious experiments with the polariscope III
A. hapds of Professor IIckering convinced MI
I.ov,er that there are nc permanent oouie' "
,vatcr on Mars Through lons mohli'S VI w
.orvation. none of the three astronomers "
,-,a.,s,off detected any signs Of heavy clouds
or ternresis. or. indeed. storms oi any N'''
Tho Inference is that {; rarely. perhaps never
DiaOCt.
motivation 70 its own orbit Is subject TO chahEeS
&c ,oo,,, similar 70 those familiar on ear'h'
m. orl,. dcnosition of moisture when MI
rorrou could perceive was that which loI"le"
Tn tce,aps at the poles. ana ms lie lhiae'h''
,oust fail first IN "a form as light as iros'' inese
,,-.aps must be much less dense IMAM 'hoSe va
,h. cath. for the three observers agree 'ha'
,,av sa,y the ice around the southern pore "p
-o,,.olv 6isappear in the Maruah S"''"'''
This disappearance was attended py 'he loini"-
,ion of a body Of water which responder 10 'ie
-, of the poiariscope. The quesuoh Is ""oie
,his water went. Mr. Lowell maintains that 1t
Aovyed into the canals and so irrigated 'he III
babited portions of the planet lie suppoSes
that the melting Of polar icecaps alternately
affords the only water supply on Mars ana
,hat the inhabitants have been obliged TO Gre
ete a canal system for the purpose OF irrisalioi
The canals he infers. are really invisible y" NAT
la and other observers claim to nave seen are
really long stretches of vegetation cult'N"0u
on the banks Of the canals by me aio oi ''e
water conveyed from the poles At points
phare the canals intersect the area or Vegetatioh
widers.
I. is hardly necessary 10 inform anybody
what attraction Mr. Lowelrs skill as literary
man lends 10 this theory He has forgotten noun
ing that may serve to strengthen his case Even
If his conclusions rejected by men OF SCI
ence. his book may still be read with proh'
as model of the way scientific theories shouiu
be set forth when the aim is to attract a''eh-
ton. TO awaken discussion and to stir 'he cur
oeitv even of those who are indiiferent 10 SUI
entifc speculation