The Savannah morning news., 1900-12-31
wmAr ~ mArrrNrNe ON MARss
Are the Planets Inhabitants T-Sfn&
to signal U--rhe Last inrornaa-
tInm Ahnnt The rlanrt.

FROM inN NAltuofN American
Astronomer are wrough, up over a new
ph,uoms ron % srvrd on the planet Mars.
ruesday's American contained tho origi-
ulI announcement that an observer in
Ariaona bad witnessed projection last
iuE seventy minutes and chose interested
in astroromic study are waiting eagerly
% moro detailed account ~ the occurrence.
Arc the Martllus engaged Ia an effort
f1 attract the attention Of their neigh
hor of thc carth9
For an END 90 tho century event this
woud throw into shade al OF che many
ana elaborate plans being prepared Mars
has boon au object % curiosity for years,
ever a.Hee Boz 1871 tho discovery OF the
Frrl. s, TENS Of canals about the planet
wos made and thcre are those. thou
sands ~ Thorn. who nrmly believe that a
Nnet busy population thrivoH on that
planet just how io make the acquaint-
auea of our nclghhors has been the proh-
lrm D. IL possible that on Mars tho
same problem tne been Ia the minds OF
thr po0pie and was che projection lately
seen the bcrunire ~ series % efforts
tO attract our attention
n there is She hsrrst possibility ~ this.
~ if np to our scientists 20 let our sssl-
w1rt friends Of Mars know that We have
secu their signal
Mar ls % small planet His voleme Il
less than one-Hixth % the volume ~ The
earth. and his surface q little more than
one fourth a. great Its density Is a 1T
to- less than three fourfhs and hlf gray
lty little more than oue-third Of that
% the earth facts which become more
vivid when d H. Raid that rs = result.
cubic foot o. matter of the average DEN
slfy ~ the earth weighed 40 iis own sur
face wrlghs 400 pounds. but cubic foot
or matter ~ Che average density Of ManH
weiEh.d a. its own surface weighs only
81 pounds 4 man who weighs 10 pounds
on Tho earth would weigh on Mars 81
pounds. nnd nn earthly mcnstrosity ~
40 pounds transferred 70 our steii W
ncishhor would he quite an active and
would a. as comfortably into his sur
roundinge nr a man OF ~ pounds on earth.
MARI. Therefore when opened for coioni-
z1tiuu. VIII prove vcritahle haven for
she obese on tho other hand Mar.
tiau 81 average avoinlupols in his own
sphere u transferred 90 earth. would nnd
himself grown 70 mammoth proportions
which would discommode him couHidera-
blv ln 81 race FOR mundane trolley car.
with earth's heavyweights amhling like
feathers tossed hy the wind over hlil and
dale aud only hitting hieh places % 1T
fle Mars. were they taken there. and with
the prospect % trrbiing his locomotive
difficulties confronting the Martian should
q trip io earth become feasible. II would
srras taas sntersteiiar transportation a.
/ st tfar on. even though Martians woul
soon 20 Do fiagging Old earth
II Mars has inhabitants. and H. phvsf-
enliy considered. they are the product OF
| their environment. ne evolutioniats assert
q the caso with us % the earth earthly.
then q Marian should he about eight feet
four inches IN stature and weigh asD
hound on the earth. or ii0 on his native
heath
n was sohiaparclli Of Milan who startled
the world with the announcement OF MS
I discovery % a system OF canals upon
l Mars and announcement which Hct the
/ ears Of the lay world wide open TO hear
/ that the builders had been discovered A.
we'll. For nine years the astronomers -
1 the entire world we're busy seeing which
could laugh lousiest al the canal story
I ana many Of them proved that II was
/ "nim-finm and nonsense. and the work OF
dreams 81 an overwrought Imagination.
and some unkindly ones hinted ~ delhi
| crate fraud. The statements 81 the MIL
anese have been confirmed. The canals
I Of Mars. rs he originally mapped them
[ are familiar 90 every student Of the lore
81 the stars.
! ne NAfHilntl rs 10 MNNiNtf Mars IN pNr~
/ ticuinr and planets IN general are In
hahited. followed Immediately on the
Schlaparelll vlndication. The argument In
I favor Of peopling the universe. briefly
( stated d. or WIS that u o. absurd 20
presume that our earth. which Is a mere
I apack. bearing a less ratio 10 the uni-
verse than "a grain OF sand 10 the sea-
shore. should alone be inhabited. This
/ view satisfied many ana they began 10
| Iovians. Mercurials Lunarians. Martlans.
etc. with much the same matier-of-fact
/ familiarity ar Of Africans. Asiatlcs, Aus
l traliana. or Americans.
Iiut tho theory ~ peopled planets In
/ general has had some hard knocks to en-
duro since then, and to-day it has suna
from sight n. as per the projection re-
Gently observed aud yet unaco0unted for.
I Martiana are signalling earth by a means
OF their own, ssssa -" nse ard energy =
given the peopled- planet hocus- pocus ana
there viii be more tea-table talk about
MartianH. Joyians and the like. a. II these
strange folk were in the habit q dropping
in a few evenings each week.
The absence OF air aud water from most
Of tho planets is IN the main che chief
obftacle in the way OF lcgitimately pce-
plius, the planets. Mercury has no atmos-
phere. or. At least. that we can conceive
supporting any form 81 life. and a second
ldlfiieuIty IN thls instance ~ that Mercury
presents hut one hemisphere TO the sun,
aud life We know. II Impossible under
these conditions. Venus has. on the other
hand = dense atmosphere hut, like Mer-
curry presents but one hemisphere 70 the
~uu. her polar axis being perpendicular
10 the plane u her orbit. ON both Mer-
curry ana Venus summer and winter and
dsv and night DO not exist. The moon u
known 10 BE- d dead world. destitute o.
Air and water II has been studied more
than any heavenly body, but has never
Welded one single sign Of lie, ana. IN
deed. its entire surface presents scene
~ appalling dissolution not equaied by any
/ 81 sha drear spots o. earth. a. 70 tne
ofh.r planets they are too far removed
/ 10 allow possibility OF research.
Mars remains alone a iield for specuta.
I a., Mars has days and nishts ou'
LIGHTLY different from our own. He en-
TO- tbe Seasons In turn. a. We 90. ana
atmosuhere and water abound. approx
rnatelv ae abundantly a. on the EARN.
gnovg Ice and eternal cold cap his poles
- those OF the earth. Every condition
n mel 10 provide habitapie world.
Ana then there ere the canals.
7rhere are isg OF these. built Ia a regu'
lar scheme throughout the southern hem'
lsphere OF the planes. varying m s"nsth
ana averaging 100 miles. tho iougeS1 o.
Ing SO miles. Many circumstances IN
dtrate artfiicial construction, and volumes
nave been written. ana can attn be writ
ten. 20 prove a human iuairumentaiity u
these marvellous constructions. The ca.