The daily sentinel., 1901-02-05
MOON Is ICEBoUND.
50 ARGUES Or. VAN MARTER
OF TOLEDO.
By Rehectosoopy He Determines the
Substance of Distant Plauets-Ressons
to Believe the Moon is Now Inhabited
Snow on Lunar Highlands. a

Snow on Lunar Highlands. a
AS an astronomical starter for the
new century DR.. L. ]. Van Marter of
Toledo, o., advances some new theories
as to an ice-bound, snow-bound moon.
having traces of vegetation in the de-
pressions and probably having inhabi-
tants. He holds that the planet simply
is in its glacial epoch at this time and
that the depressed surfaces, which at
some day may be ocean bottoms, are
the regions where animal and vege-
table life first appears. "Reflecto-
scopy" is the coined word which DR..
Van Marter uses as indicating his
method of observation. This refiecto-
scopy he defines as the science of de-
termining what substance is by an
analysis Of the light reflected from it.
This, he says. is entirely different from
the spectrum analysis. as that shows
only what is In the fame. In reflecto-
scopy he determines by an analysis of
the light reflex the substance from
which that light emanates. Summing
up his theories and the proofs that he
feels to have established they are, in
brief: That the moon is covered with
snow and ice. That the so-called ex-
tinct volcanoes on the moon are ice
mounds and caps. That. considering
the present state Of the planet, there
are reasons for believing that it is in
habited. Incidentally he explains how
an atmosphere free from moisture can
rot reflect light. and also why no
clouds, rain nor SHOWS obscure the face
of the moon. "The absolute clearness
of the moons atmosphere" he says,
Its lack of clouds. rain and snow is
because watery vapOr is chilled and
condenses before it can get away from
the valleys: this also explains the for
nation OF the ice mol-i IS and ice caps.
In the low and secluded valleys 1t Is
warmer than on the surrounding high
lands. Vapor rises, but because of the
intense cold cannot rise and float away
far, but is soon condensed. This
process repeated over and over resulted
in the crater-like formations. The
moon being almost entirely covered
with snow and ice, the sun cannot va
porize sufficient water for the forma-
ton Of clouds. and this explains their
absence in the moons atmosphere" AS
to the snow reflex, DR.. Van Marter says
he determines 1t just as an oculist dag
noses atrophy of the optic nerve from
its light reflex. He says: "The light
reflex from the moons mountains.
poles and highlands is pure white, but
gloomy and lusterless. From the
moons equatorial lowlands there is the
oR irh cornpUh II
darkened, and this is evidence Of strug-
Cling vegetation. Lava, igneus rock,
or meteoric metal do not give pure
white reflex; volcanoes or barren
mountains do not: snow-clad noun
tains do. Sailors in the tropics sleep
ing on deck in the moonlight get dis
ease of the eyes similar to snow blind
ness. Thus does every bit of evidence
and its logical analysis harmonic with
my deductions" He concludes that the
uniformly pure whiteness OF the high
lands also points to snow, Just as the
whiteness of the rims Of the darkened
areas point to impinging glaciers. DR..
Van Marter insists that the volcano
idea is an absurdity for several rea-
sons. 1t assumes the absence Of water
ment the doctor says that rock would
not have crystalized, even conceding
that the Jagged outline OF the moon
surface could be rock. That it is not
rock he claims to prove for the reason
that no volcanic rock could reflect a
white light. Again, he says that the
large size of the so-called volcanoes.
with diameters of twenty to fifty miles.
point to an instant cooling, and that
without the agency of water he says
would be impossible. On the other
hand a slow cooling would have super
Imposed conical peaks, leaving the era
ter cups at the apex instead OF low
down in the present giant basins.
Buda-Pesth's News Telephone.
In Buda-Pesth there is a news tele-