Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1898-06-11
THE PLANET MARS.
Latest Scientific Conclusions RelR-
tive TO the Changes ON Our
Celestial Neighbour.

During recent years the planet Mar:
has been assiduonsly studied at the oh
servatory of Juvisy, near Paris, by NJ
Antionadi and others. There, as else
where, the "canuis" ON the planet have
been seen, usually as long, narrow
lines lying in the ares Of great circles
of the surface. There is no doubt OF
the objective existence of such mark
ings, as they have been mapped by
many observers before and since Schiap-
areili undertook their serious study in
1871. Such markings are probably
long cracks or creyasseS in the outer
layers of the planets surface. The
experiments of NJ. Daubree have shown
that the expansion of an interior nu-
cleus will produce a series of longcracks
lying in the arcs of great circles. A
contracting nucleus produces ruga-
tons like mountain chains. Many OBJ
servers since Schiaparelli have noted
the doubling" of the Marian canals.
Sometimes a single marking of the sort
will be suddenly replaced by two
narrow markings lying in the same re-
gion and in the same direction. If,
says NJ. Antonadi, the Seine should sud
denly disappear, and if two new rivers
should be created, one running from
Nantes to Marseilies, the other from
Dunkirk to S~trasburg, we should have
a precise terrestrial analogue to the APP
pearance of double canals on Mars. Re
cent popular writer's have exhausted in
genuity in devising explanations OF
this phenomenon, which should agree
their idee iixe that the canals"
are, without doubt, the work of human
hands, 1t is hardly necessary to say
that no explanation of this sort has
been given that satisfies astronomers.
NJ. Antionadi has made a careful
study of the optical illusions that at.
end prolonged and strained vision OF
~lelicate markings of this kind, and he
mas come unreseryedly to the conclu
sion that the doubling of the canals on
Mars arises from defective focusing OF
some kind, either of the telescope or OF
he Observers eye Through fatigue).
)ne of his experiments may be tried
~ anyone who will take the trouble to
'ule a fine line on Il visiting card and tc
ook at it, from a distance, with an
'pera glass, A very slight disturbance
II the focal adjustment, or slight
of the eye, will produce a double
mage of the single line. 1t is always
possible to produce double images of .
line in one of these ways. NJ
.IntlonadIs experiments seem to show
hat the double canals on Mars are al
the results of one of these two l.
ouses. His conclusions are noteworth,
a themselves as Il return to nationality t
the explanation Of a physical appear Y
nee on Mars; and it is interesting tc n
amember that he is an assistant to NJ
lammarion, who is the high priest Gn c
Iance) of the doct,ine of human life .
u Mars, NJ. Antionadi accepts, tacitly Ii
lie view of the circumstances prevail =.
g on Mars that has been consistent, !,
by the astronomers of Princeton =
cunt Hamilton, etc.-namely, that ii re
IA planet analogous to our moor, with I
tile or no atmosphere, no water, nc 4
onds, with very low temperature, nc m
life, and no canals" for com. IL
constructed by Intelligent be. >,
gs like ourselyes."-N. Y. Post. "