Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1895-04-25
THE MEN OF MARS.
An Arizonn Astronomer Thinks They
May BE Nineteen Feet Tall.

An Arizonn Astronomer Thinks They
May BE Nineteen Feet Tall.
Perclval Lowell has completed a
series of lectures In the Lowell Insti-
tute course which are full of food for
thought and of inspiration for fancy,
says the Boston Post. In these lectures
he told his audiences what he had seen
through his telescope on the plinet
Mars, and what opinions he had form
ed from what he saw. Mr.. Lowell has
had opportunities for making acquaint-
ance with our neighboring planet
equaled by few men on this earth. He
has established and maintains Mt his
own expense and for his personal use,
an Astronomical observatory at Flag
staff, Arizona, Mt an elevation and In IL
section where the clearness Of the at
mosphere and other favorable condi-
tons offered great advantages for OBJ
servatlon. And there he has scrutlnlzed
Mars during the recent approach Of
that planet to the earth.
What Mr., Lowell has gained from
these observations is clear conviction
that the planet Mars is inhabited. And
not only this, but he reasons from what
he has seen that the men Of Mars are
far advanced, Mt least in some respects,
beyond the present development Of the
human race upon the earth. Without
attempting to follow Mr.. Lowell
through the very interesting account Of
his observations and the deductions
which he draws from them, his eXplana-
ton Of the phenomenon known as tho
"canals" may be mentioned rs an ex-
ample, These famous canals" appear
ing and disappearing on the surface Of
the planet, have been the subject Of
hopeless speculation ever since the Ital-
ian astronomer Schlaparelli, noticed
them. 1t seemed impossible to regard
them as the work of men, because OF
their magnitude and the rapidly with
which they sprang into existence. No
men, 1t was thought, could dig so fast.
But as Mr., Lowell sees 1t, solution Of
the puzzle is ready The markings
which we call canals, he holds, are not
the trenches themselves, but the broad
belts Of vegetation which spring up, and
again fade away, along the borders Of
the vast irrlgating bitches which the
men of Mars have built.
This Is the basis of Mr.. Lowells mes
sage regarding Mars, The canals may
have been built years ago; they certain
ly are not dug year by year as they
seem to be; and 1t Is the recurrence OF
vegetation, season after season, which
brings the markings of these fertile
belts within the vision of telescopes ON
the earth Then the question comes,
to what use are these canals putt They
are seen to converge at spots which
show dark green color In the telescope
ut Flagstaff. These spots Mr.. Lowell
calls "oases;" and here fancy may pic
ture, as analogy points out, the inhab-
ltants Of Mars congregatlng during the
long winter Of that planet to live in
luxury upon the stores laid by during
the season Of vegetation.
What sort Of men is 1t who have
built this vast system Of irrigation and
transportation and have created oases
Of refuge In the midst of barrenness2
BY mathematics, Mr. Lowell shows that
the mon Of Mars may be nineteen feet
In height and Of corresponding physical
strength; the attraction Of gravltatlon
there being not more than one-thIrd
what 1t is upon the earth. And II, as
we have the right to infer, their intel
lectual development matches that Of
their bodies, 1t is not difficult to con-
celve Of the production Of such works
rs those which Mr.. Lowell's telescope
discloses when pointed toward the red
| planet In the clear air Of Arizona.
1t may be said that this Is fanclfuI;
that the observed facts do not sustain
the deductions. But the facts ut least
do not contradict the belief which Mr..
Lowell holds. The men Of Mars may
claim our confidence as. existent beings
until some one arises to show more
plainly that they do not exist.