Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1901-11-22
The CANALS OF MARS.
Serviss Writes of Them In Book
! on "Other Worlds.
THEY MAY BE ARTIFICIAL WORKS

on the Planet II Maintained-spec-
ulations ~ to the Martians.
In his new book on "Other Worlds"
published by D. Appleton & Co., New
York, Professor Garrett P. Serviss tells
some wonderfully interesting things
about Mars, that planet which is most
inviting to the world Of romance. He
says:
Mars is the fourth planet in the order
Of distance from the sun and the outer
most member of the terrestrial group.
Its mean distance Is 141, 100000 miles.
During the exceptionally favorable
opposition Of Mars in 1877, when an
American astronomer, Asaph Hall, dis
covered the planets two minute satel-
lites, and again during the opposition
Of 1870 Schiaparelli, the Italian observ-
err, caught sight Of an astonishing net
work of narrow dark lines intersecting
the SO called continental regions of the |
planet and crossing one another in ev-
cry direction.
Let us note some of the more striking |
facts about the canals which Schiapa-
relli has described. We cannot do bet
ter than quote his own words:
"In certain seasons these canals be-
come double. This phenomenon seems
to appear at determinate epoch and
to he produced simultaneously over the
I'm ylIO Il.
nents. There was no indication OF IT
in 1877 during the weeks that preceded
and followed the summer solstice OF
that world. A single isolated case pre-
scented itself in 1870. On the Goth OF
December this year, little before the
spring equinox, which occurred on
Mars on the 21st of January, 1880,
noticed the doubling of the Nile, a ca
nal thus named, between the Lakes or
the Moon and the Ceramic gulf"
The thought naturally occurred that
the canals might be of artificial origin
and might indicate the existence OF
| gigantic system Of irrigation serving
| to maintain life upon the globe OF
| Mars.
|
lines, their straghtness, their absolute
parallelism when doubled, their re-
markable tendency to radiate from
definite centers, lent strength to the
hypothesis Of an artificial origin.
But their enormous size, length and
number tended to stagger belief in the
ability of the inhabitants of any world
to achieve a work so stupendous.
objection has been made to the theo-
~ of the artificial origin of the canals
Of Mars on the ground, already men
toned, that the work required to con-
struct them would be beyond the ca
pacity of any race of creatures resem-
bling man. The reply that has been
made to this is twofold.
In the first place, it should be re-
membered that the theory, as Mr..
Lowell presents it, does not assert that
the visible lines are the actual canals,
but only that they are strips of terrific
Nv intersected. like Holland or the CEN
ter of the plain of Lombardy, by innu-
merable irrigation canals and bitches.
To construct such works is clearly
not an impossible undertaking, al
though it does not imply great indus
try and concentration of effort. .
In the second place, since the force
of gravity on Mars is in the ratio of
only 3S to 100 compared with the
earth's it is evident that the diminish
ed weight of all bodies to be handled
would give the inhabitants of Mars an
advantage over those of the earth In
the performance of manual labor, pro
yided that they possess physical
strength and activity as great as ours.
But In consequence of this very fact
Of the slighter force of gravity man
upon Mars could attain a much greater
size and consequently much greater
muscular strength than his fellows
upon the earth possess without being
oppressed by his own weight.
In other words. as far as the force OF
gravity may be considered as the de-
cisive factor, Mars could be inhabited
by giants fifteen feet tall, who woulo
be relatively just as active and just as
little impesled in their movements 10y
the We. hit of their bodies as six foot
er Is III on the earth.
1t f. confidence bred from considera
tions like these in the superhuman
powers of the supposed inhabitants Of
Mars that has led to the popular idea
that they are trying to communicate
by Signals with the earth.
" Certain enigmatical spots of ligh
seen at the edge Of the illuminated disl
of Mars and projecting into the unillu
minated part--for Mars, although al
outer planet, shows at particular times
u gibbous phase resembling that of thu
J moon just before or just after the pc
Rod of full moon-have been interpret
ed by some, but without any scientific
evidence, as of artificial origin.
Upon the assumption that these brigh
points and others seen elsewhere OF
the planets disk are intended by thu
Martians for signals to the earth en-
tertaining calculations have been mad'
~f 1irr1,f