Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1897-05-20
THE MARIAN CANALS.
Interesting Facts About Affairs on
Another Sphere.

The mass of Mars is ten ninety
fCurths that of the earth; his volume
is ten one-huniredths that of the
earth The force of gravity, therefore,
at the surface OF Mars is thirty
eight -hundredths that of the
earth, and a man weighing $50 pounds
here would weigh only tlfty-eight
pounds there
1t is proved that Mars has an atmos-
phere, but it is thin-at its surface
probably half the density Of the at
mosphere of the earth at the height of
the Himalayas. In quality gaseous
oompc sition) it is not unlike that OF
the earth, for each planet has about
the same pull on gases that would
escape; there is no free hydrogen in
the earths atmosphere, nor probably
in that of Mars. But Mars has nothing
OF what we call weather" 1t is a
serene world. Its surface is generally
fat, the gradients not rising to any
mountain heights. If storms occur,
they must be mild There can be little
rain, hail or snow, and even on the
great continental deserts the move
ment of the rarefied air must be slight.
Dew or frost must be the common
precipitation on Mars; the polar snow
cap or ice cap is not formed by fall
ing snow, but by successive deposits OF
dew. Water would boil at about l27
degrees Fahrenheit, Practically there
are no clouds on Mars; at most oc-
casionally spots of thin vapor that
speedily disappear. There is no diff
ficulty in observing Mars on account
of this sort of obstruction; the diff
ficulty is in our own atmosphere, and
mainly in its lack of steadiness. Not
outstanding the distance of Mars
from the sun, and its thin atmosphere,
Its climate appears that of the earth.
Its air is not too thin to sustain in
telligent life, and altogether it seems
to be an attractive place of residence;
that is to say, for the sort OF beings
that like that sort of habitat 1t might
/ OF suit man, but that is no reason for
saying that it is no better than he de-
serves or can appreciate.
The polar cap of snow or ice on
Mars lessons very much in the sum
mer, and in some years disappears
entirely. The observer at Flagstaff
has seen, therefore, what we have not
seen on the earth, an open polar sea-
But how much of a sea is it in depth?
1t is confessed that the great want on
Mars, from our point of view, is water.
There is no rain, no gre I evaporation,
there are no rivers, and what We're
once supposed to be seas or oceans
are probably deserts. So far as 1t
now appears, the only water OF the
nlanet comes from the annual melt
ing of the polar SHOWS, the water
spreading in an inundation over the
surface, which would be sterile with
out it, That is to say, Mars lives
wholly by irrigation. This idea re-
ceived confirmation by the startling
discovery years ago OF canals, which
cover more than the surface OF the
temperate zone, running in all direc-
lions, but with mathematical regular
| ity, crossing the great deserts-the
continents so d-intersecting
with predetermined accuracy, some
times three or four meeting in one
spot, and forming what seem to be
/ cases of verdure The longest OF
/ these canals observed is $500 miles
in length. The perfect regularity
with which they traverse all inequali-
ties of su~eoce, the uniformity OF
breadth of each and their general
mathematical character prove that
they are artificial. The latest OBJ
. servation double, flowing side by side
with undertaking straightness of par
allel lines and according to system.
But observations at Flagstaff, and
perhaps elsewhere, have modified the