The San Francisco call., 1896-06-08

have nebulous appearance, owing probably
to the formation OF vapor by rapid evapora-
ton.
nected with the Marsian can ais is their doub-
ling or germinat tion. A given canal changes
in appearance and is transformed throughout
its whole length into two lines parallel 10 each
other that look like the two rails of a railroad,
the new line following the original one with
geometric precision at q uniform distance from
eighteen TO 120 miles apart. This duplication
Is not confined to canals; it observed in the
lakes, which frequently appear TO be doubled.
From the fact that this doubling occurs in
the months which precede and follow the
great inundation caused by the melting of the
polar ice about the time of the equinoxes 1t has
been thought that the presence of watery va
por, charged, perhaps, ysome other unknown
vapor, has produced bi-molecular medium,
through which the doubled portions are Wis
ible, causing double refraction, as is the case
when we look through piece of Iceland spar.
The thawing of the polar SHOWS and ice was
fully observed during the late opposition OF
Mars. The area of the ice cap diminished
from mean diameter OF $500 miles 10 100
miles,
The geography of Mars is pretty well estab-
lished. The southern ice cap is not centered
upon the pole, and the freezing area is at
some distance from the true pole. The south
pole is free from ice in the summer. The
northern ice cap is centered exactly on the
pole. All of Mars conditions for inhabitabil-
ity are fairly well determined. AT the melting
of the SHOWS accumulated during the winter
frozen region and converts an immense tract
of land into temporary sea, covering all the
lower regions. Many observers, including
Proctor, have mapped Mars with seas asa and
their observation, when the fact was that at
one season region Is land and at another
season water. The effect OF the long summers
and winters on Mars produces higher mean
temperature during the summer season than
is normal to the earth.
The polar SHOWS of Mars proves without
41no
by an atmosphere capable of transporting
aqueous vapor from one region TO another.
The presence of an atmosphere on Mars,
charged with aqueous .yapor, has been con-
firmed by spectroscopic observations, espe-
cially by Vogel, who says: 'The atmosphere
of Mars, differing very little from ours, is very
rich in aqueous vapor." This fact is of no lit
tie importance. and we can therefore assert
with the greatest probability, that it is to
water, and not to any other liquid that we
must attribute the seas and polar SHOWS and
ice of Mars. The melting of ice on Mars leads
to the conclusion that in spite of its distance
from the sun, Mars has temperature analog-
Gus to that of the earth. The demonstrated
fact that ice does melt on Mars is pregnant
with the protest against some OF the accepted
theories of heat as derived from the sun.
our textbooks of physical science state that
"the intensity OF the suns light and heat on
Mars is but three-sevenths OF that upon the
earth" This would place the mean tempera-
ture of Mars at about go degrees Fahrenheit be-
low zero If the textbooks state correctly IL
would not be possible for aqueous vapor to
play such determining part as it does in the
such great physical conditions there.
But are the textbooks right? What is heat?
We speak of it as mode of motion. Does It
come from the sun as heat de facto; or rather
does not the sun emanate force which, con-
tacting with matter here on our globe, or on
the, other spheres OF the solar system,
the observed conditions on Mars, and none
other will.
The meteorological conditions on Mars are
closely analogous to those on the earth The
difference in the distribution of Continents
and seas on Mars leads to slight differences in
meteorological effects. 1t rarely rains, If at
all, on Mars. Clouds and logs form, but not
dense enough to obscure the face of the planet
or to completely interfere with observation
The general color of the seas is a grayish
brown.
sented to account for the red coppery color of
Mars. 1t may be due to the color of vegeta-
tion. We are here accustomed to associate
green. with vegetable growth, but because
that it is imperative throughout the universe.
Chlorophyll the color matter in plants, is
sometimes red as well as green.
AS to whether or not Mars is inhabited the
question cannot now be positively answered.
Nothing that would be recognized as the handi-
work OF intelligent beings has yet been OBJ
served on Mars. This, however, is but mega
tive testimony. Even with our most poverty
telescopes it would be extremely difficult to
see an object on the surface of Mars of a lesser
diameter than twenty miles. Perhaps the fu-
ture may determine the question There is
good reason to suppose that II is Inhabited.
No thoughtful mind can contemplate the vast
universe and arrive at the conclusion that lis
stupendous energy is being expended solely to
afford qualification to the careless vision of a
single race located on this puny ball. MANY
Of the fixed stars are so far away that the raw
of ligh that left them before the birth of Adam
has not yet reached this earth. There is no
reason to suppose that our earth is the only
sphere fitted to the development and main
tenance OF Intelligent beings, The telescope
and the speetroscope tell US emphatically that
Mars is so fitted. The selfish, narrow mind
may arrive at the conclusion that this earth is
all; but philosophy, speaking for science saws
There are but few uninhabited stars.p