The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-01-31
MERCURY. THE WINGED MEssES-


HERCt RI. THE WINGED AEs>ES-
GER.
The planet Mercury. nearest 70 the sun
OF al IT'S offspring, is 80 small and 50
near the glare OF the center OF our sys-
TEN that II is not easy 10 learn much
about its physical characteristics. Some
advance has been made within the past
year in knowledge OF its peeulIsrfties, how
ever. and some facts concerning IL have
been sscertainsd. The most important
Of these is that IL rsvolves on its axis In
the same time as II revolves about the
sun, and thus has no known counterpart
except our own moon. Next IL Is estab-
lshed beyond reasonable doubt that il has
no atmosphere as we know II. and there
fore can have no water. or at least no
oceana
Perciysi Lowell, who has made a special
study OF this planet. has ascertsined that
the two revelations are syncaroaous and
the-efore the effect is a turning by the
planet OF the same side psrpeoaRy 20 the
Sun and consequent perpetual Eumina-
ton OF the same hemisphere" Such con-
nave on the earth. ard IL there are any be-
;nx< on it's surfaces they must be divided
INFO those who live always in sunshine and
those who live In perpetual darkness. But
the better theory seems that the planet has
outlfvec its active life and IL prematurely
aged and dried up world. mass OF rock.
as the moon Is. with great mountains and
deep ocean-beds from which all verdure
and animated life have long since passed
away. If they ever existed.
This can be readily understood. Even
II Mercury ana the earth flew into space
from the suns outer surface at the same
time. millions OF years ago, the greater
nearness OF Mercury to the suns soorch-
ing rays FASTENED its development more
radidly and forced IL 20 pass through the
stages OF nebulosity, concentration. land
and sea, verdure and life. and ultimate
ariulty. much more quickly than the more
distant earth.
Always assuming that there can be
no life without the conditions apparent
on the earth, the planet loses interest for
speculative Investigators, but its physical
characteristics are sure to attract atten-
ton as science advances. It is found
now to possess markings very similar
to Mars, nearly as dark and much darker
than those on Venus. They are not called
canals. but they cross each other in WELL
defined lines and look like a rough
attempt to make letters on
bright surface. No explanation Is
offered of their cause or purpose.
to show the period Of revolution. At one
time it was supposed that Mercury re-
volved on its axis in a little over twenty
four hours so that its day was about the
same length as ours, but according TO
Lowell fits day Is as long as Its year; on
one side there Is perpetual night and on
the other perpetual day. with only one sea-
son of furnace heat on one side, and
iciness. to which our zero is midsummer.
on the other.
We cannot imagine the conditions OF
life which would be adapted to such cir
cumstances. and must tend 10 the belief
that of all the planetary bodies. Venus.
EaTtl anu MATS are the only ones WHICH
can come within our comprehension.
In fact. OF all the millions OF bodies 70
be seen 50 brilliant in the sky. no others
seem TO be at that intermediate stage be
tween fiery incandescence and dead cold
ness presented by these three All are
balls of blazing gases and molten liquid
ity. like the seaf-lt stars, or extinguished
masses of rejecting lights like the moon
and Mercury. There may be- satellites OF
the distant stars like Sirius. invisible TO
mortal eyes. upon which life exists far,
far advanced beyond our conceptions; but
no instrument has been devised delicate
enough TO determine either by direct OBJ
servation or by oalculative effect their ex-
.stenoe.
They must. IL they exist at all. be In
various stages. Millions OF years had
elapsed before the earth became suscept-
ible OF sustaining human life. Only ten
thousand years at most comprise the span
OF human existence. Millions Of years
VIII pass after life is extinguished before
the world becomes disintegrated into cos
mic dust.
What is the purpose of thes. unused
agss? BY what means can mans intelll-
gencs be conveyed from the present to
the future? There are mysteries which
the mind cannot compass: secrets of ma
turs which inspiration has not revealed
upon which all the revelations Of religion
and science have not cast one faint glim-
msr OF light.