Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1897-06-11

the same curious system OF lnundatlon
that the south pole does. 1t, too, has
canals that run right into its snow
and then over the surface of the
planet.
The canals also pursue the same
course they were observed to do at
flagstaff in 1894 in the matter OF their
development. What was anticipated
and what came to pass just as antici-
pated was the curious doubling of the
canals. At first canal will appear
single, and this continues to be its ap.
pearance through the earlier part OF
the Martian season. Then it grad.
ually proceeds to "twin," that is to
say, in place of one canal it shows
two canals absolutely parallel and OF
the same width throughout their
length. They have the same associa.
tion that we see in the twin rails of a
railroad track.
In 1894 at Flagstaff the beginnings
of this curious gemination were OBJ
served much and chronicled, but this
year in Mexico the Martian season was
much further advanced, and the
doubles came out in great quantity.
Some appeared in a way to show that
they were in a way connected with
melting at the south pole, while others
were connected with the north pole.
They are from thirty-fve to forty
miles wide.
The spots seen where the canals
cross came out again in this years OBJ
servations just as in 1894. These So
called "oases" are very curious mark
ings. They occur only at the junction
OF the different canals, and, if the tele-
scopic power is strong enough, appear
always at these functions. AS they
show the same characteristics of the
canals, they are, probably, like them,
vegetation. They are about one hun.
dred and fifty miles across.
What such tracts of vegetation in
close we do not know. They may be
centers of population. This is the
most probable supposition, for it is to
them that the canals run.
These oases double just as the canals
do. We see then that during the last
set of observations at the Lowell OBJ
servatory the previous theory put
forth about Mars has been confirmed,
while great deal has been added to it
in detail-the fine prints, as we may
say, of the subject.
To Prof. William H. Pickering is
due the credit of having first con-
slider the dark areas to be vegetation
and not water; and to A. E. Douglas
is due the credit of detecting the
"canal" character of lines in the dark
regions, both OF which are fundamental
facts in relation to the recent dis
coveries.
The planet Venus, though our next of
kind and our nearest neighbor, has long
been a mystery to astronomers. They
did not know what she was or what she
was likely to be. They had not determ.
ined whether she had season, or, more
important still, whether she had day.
Without day life could not exist.
All growth, animal or vegetable, de-
pends upon a recurrent supply of
water which must not be too much or
to little. The alienation of night
and day produces periodic cycle of
meteorological change which makes
rain possible. If there is no variation
in the cause there can be none in the
effect, and with the absence of change
all life would become impossible.
Moreover, a planet without seasons
would seem to us though not an i'm.
possible yet still strange place to live
in-an intensely and perpetually hot
belt at the equator, eternal, unchang.
ing cold at the poles, and storm
swept, temperate zone between.
Whether planet has day or not
will depend ON how it rotates on its
own axis in its yearly circuit around
the sun. It will have day of greater
or less duration unless it turns on its
own axis just as fast as, and no faster
than its orbital revolution carries i,
round the sun. In such a rate of rota
ton the one turning will offset the
other, and, relatively to the sun the
planet will seem not to turn at all
that is, it will be eternal night on the
other.
Whether a planet has seasons or moi
depends upon the tilt of its axis to the
plane Of its orbit. If perpendicular to
that plane it will have no season.
1t was to determine whether Venus
had day not, and whether or not q
change of seasons, that Mr.. Lowell last
August began his observations at Flag
staff. The difficulty in observing i,
that the planet is so near the sun tina,
it must be viewed either through the
haze which hangs above the horizon
after sunset or through the unsteady
atmosphere of midday. Day air ii
useless as a rule.
Flagstaff proved to be exceptionally
favorable for day observations, ant
this fact lies at the basis of Mr.
Lowelrs important and significant
discoveries regarding the hitherto
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