Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1897-11-24
THERE'S NOLIFE On LUNA
Yerkes Telescope Shows the Moon
La Uninhabited.
Thereby showing the Assertion 81
French Astfon0msrs to BE er-
AIR OF veGs-
tatfon.

Neither water, nor air, nor vegetation.
nor evidence of life in any form can De
seen on the moon through the most
powerful telescope ever constructed.
The great Yerkes telescope has already
entered upon it's career of scientific use
fulness by adding further proof to the
well-established fact that the moon is
a dead world. 1t has been trained upon
the lunar sphere by two of h best
known astronomers of this country,
who are connected with the Yerkes OBJ
s~ervatory, at a time when by a peculiar
coincidence the scientists of Paris were
greatly aQitated over the discovery OF
what were believed to be indications of
rivers and plants up on h moon.
II was the good fortune of F. L. o.
Wordsworth, one of the observatory
staff, to get the first glimpse of the
moon through the Yerkes telescope. E.
Z. Barnard was h next member OF the
staff to gaze at the far-away planet, and
the conclusions of these two learned
gentlemen are identical in that they
agree that neither discovered anything
of Importance to the scientific world.
The peculiar lines and spots noticed by
the Partisan astronomers on the map
of the lunar planisphere that is being
photographed in the Mendon observa-
tory were not to be seen through the
Yerkes telescope. There was nothing
additional TO be noticed but an unusual
amount of detail on the surface of the
moon never seen before.
The mooni il q magnificent sight seen
through the Yerkes instrument" said
Mr.. Barnard recently. Zone can see an
enormous number Of small details never
seen before, such as small craters and
minute crevasses, but there are no
traces of air nor vegetable life to be de-
tected. 1t is possible that the lines
found on the photographs taken at the
Mendon observatory might be
1 don't pretend to say what they repre-
sent. only know that the observations
taken here fail to give any confirmation
of the theories of the Partisan astron-
omers."
The reported discoveries at the
French observatory aroused the inter
est of a number of astronomers who
gathered at the Yerkes observatory for
the purpose of attending it's dedica-
ton. None of the number was
ready to give any Endorsement of the
theory that life prevailed in any form
on the moon, however, and all agreed
with the opinion expressed in these col
umns the other day by S. W. Burnham.
If the atmospheric conditions had been
favorable it is likely that every one of
the distinguished scientists would have
availed himself of the chance to peep
at the moon but this pleasure had to
be ~foregone, because of the clouds.
There are just as good photographs
taken through small instruments as
with large ones" said George E. Hale,
director of the Yerkes observatory.
prof. Loewy, director of the Paris OBJ
servatory, has undoubtedly made the
best photographs of the moon, but the
best photographs ever made will not
show as much as can be seen through a
12-inch telescope. The lines noticed in
the photographs Of the Mendon OBJ
%servatory v always been noticed, and
no astronomer has yet ventured to as
sert that they represent active rivers.
/ entirely agree with the views of Mr..
Durham on the subject"
Carl Runge, director of sp~ectroscopy
II the observatory in Hanover, Ger
many, is another m of the distin-
guished visitors at the Yerkes observa-
tory who holds contrary views to those
reported as coming from Paris. He n
sidered it very improbable that a photo
graph of the Zoe would be made that
would show objects 1000 feet long or
high. With Prof. Hale, he believed it
possible hat the spots OF the Mendon
photographs, which were not consid-
cred shadows, were to be accounted for
as variations in the color of the moons
crust.
Among the other astronomers present
at the Yerkes observatory were Simon
Newcomb, director of the Washington
observatory; Prof. H. C. Lord, director
Of the Emerson Mcmillan observatory
at the Ohio state university, and Prof.
George T. Comstock, director of the
Washburn observatory of the Wiscon-
sin state university at Madison. The lat
ter will present a paper before the dis
tinguished gathering of special interest
under the circumstances. 1t is entitled
Atmosphere of the Moon" and will
contain the final conclusions of Prof.
Comstock after a prolonged study of the
subject.-Chicago Times-Herald.