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

possible to be done by the inhabitants
of any planet that must not be overlooked
at this point. 1t has already been stated
that the surface gravity upon Mars is
thirty eight-one-hundredths of that up5n
the earth, and this circumstance alone
affords many advantages in the perform
ance of work upon that planet. 1t is a
well-known mathematical fact that the
strength of materials varies as the squares
Of their linear dimensions, but their
weights as their cubes. Hence an animal
might increase in size while maintaining
the same proportions until his strength
could not sustain his weight. We note
the operations of this law in the relative
amounts of effective energy displayed in
the ant and the elephant or even in
fat man and a lean one. Now the weight
of bodies upon a small planet being so
much less, ii follows that an animal might
grow correspondingly larger and relative
ly stronger. These considerations would
afford to the Marian inhabitants an enor-
nous advantage over us in the execution
of such extensive engineering operations
as are suggested by the canals"
But while the physical conditions of
Mars are such as to enable the planet in
all probability to support animal life, and
the mechanical possibilities are such as
have been indicated, we have no direct
proof of the actual existence of lie upon
that body. The apparent artificial char
strongest suggestion of life and local in
telligence, but it must be remembered
that this ,artiticiality is a question as yet
enVeloped in much doubt. When we con-
sider however, that the largest telescope
would utterly fail to show upon Mars
city the size of Chicago, we may well
conceive that even a high form of intelli-
gent life might exist upon that planet
without any evidences of il ever appear
ing to us. AS Mars is a much older planet
than the earth it is possible that its in
habtants, if any there be- may be much
more advanced in the scale of life than
those of this planet. Its inhabitants may
have passed through their age of steam
and electricity centuries ago, and are
now utilizing the forces of nature in
manner which will reward the inventive
genius Of our Edisons in the ages to
come.
Concerning the Availability of the four
larger planets, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus
and Neptune we can reason only deduc-
lively from the facts naturally inherent
to their respective situations The tele-
scope for them tells US nothing of their
possibilities for life. We know that the
heat and light which they receive from
the sun are very small in amount, in the
case of Jupiter One-twenty- seventh, and
of Neptune one-One-thousandth of that
which we receive, but their greater mass
and volume may yet contain sufficient
original internal heat to support life upon
their surfaces. Jupiter is more than
1,300 times the size of the earth, and there
are good reasons for believing that this
Titan of the solar system is still quite
hot, indeed, slightly incandescent. If this
be so, it. is now unfit for life, but who
shall say that in the ages to come, when
this huge world shall have cooled off
SuT1clently, II may not become the grand
est theater of physical and intellectual
activity in the entire solar system?
Concerning the accommodation of
the inhabitants of the different planets,
it may be said al present there does not
appear to be the remotest possibility of
its accomplishment. Various schemes
have been proposed, but from the very
nature of the case they are impractical.
1t may be that some future Edison or
Tesla may harness the interstellar ether
with intelligent thought and catch well
come echoes from the distant planetary
shores, but there is now no reasonable
prospect of the accomplishment of SO
grand an achievement.
Otis Ashmore.