The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-09-17
A Million Years Ahead Of Us,
Prof. Hough Declares.
OUR INTELLIGENCE AhTIQUATEO
The Planets, He Declares, Were Not Gre
atsd Merely 10 Fly Around u'Spaca
No Startling Discoveries.

Chicago, Sept. H.-"Mars Is inhabited. I
am convinced" says Prof. q. w. Housh.
and Its inhabitants are probably loo. 900
years In advance OF us. They certainly
should be more intelligent than we are,
IL we accept the theory OF evolution, as
almost all scientists do.
| Because II is smaller, II sollihed more
rapidly than the earth. and whatever
forms of life were meant 10 exist upon IL
were given start while the earth was
hot and still in a gaseous state"
Prof Hough is head OF the Dearborn OBJ
| servatory connected with the Northwest
ern university. He has been studying
Mars all summer and this is the tenor of
a report he Is making OF his observa-
| tions.
1T will be impossible ever TO know
! what form has been given to the inhabi-
/ tants OF Mars." said he, but the fact re-
mains that their home was prepared for
them so long before ours that in the
us In intelligence
Ihe nshworms, or whatever other
form OF animal life from which we have
evolved, were certainly not a higher form
than the first life OF Mars. providing IL
was put there. Then why should the de-
further advanced?
MORE TO SEE HERE THAN THERE
They may have instruments OF suffi
cient power TO see US. The earth being so
much larger than Mars increases chances
Tor successful observation"
Prof. Hough smiled when asked m On
into discussion OF the characteristics OF
the people OF Mars He admitted that as
tronomers could only agree that the in |
habitants were there. and that from the
meagre glimpse given by the telescope
that the planet was In high state OF
civilization. To describe its people Is as
much an imposslbility. he says, as TO talk
with them.
Astronomers have come TO agree that
animal life could exist on Mars" he said.
IT has been proved that climatic condi- |
.iohs on the planet are the same as on |
the earth IL has an atmosphere and ia |
covered with red vegetation This much !
mas been determined. but the largest tele- |
scope Is not strong enough to enable the |
eye to see any sign there of animal life |
which may exist.
1T would be folly to suppose how
ever, that not only one, but millions OF |
solar systems would be created that a
little planet like the earth might alone be
inhabited. Ard since Mars, and possibly
Mercury and Venus are fit for habitation,
reason tells us that people have been put
|
merely to fly around In space"
Mars first became fit for habitation
Pror. Hough asserts, and its people
nave become much superior In intelli-
sence to those OF the earth.
THEY ARE EXCLUSIVE. TOO.
Prof. Hough derides the theory OF tbe
'ossibility or ever establishing commu-
lication between the inhabitants OF the |
arth and any Of the other planets.
That theory Is visionary" he saws. |
and utterly impossible. There are no |
acts In our possession 10 warrant the be- |
et that such an event will ever come to !
ass. II Is beyond the imagination OF
ven the most optimistic scientist. The
eople OF Mars may be looking down up-
n us through superior telescopes with |
uperior intelligence, but they can never
Communicate with us or we with them.
There have been no startling dIscov- |
ries IN astronomy for century The |
onclusfons that are drawn now result
rom gradual observations-the gathering
ogether OF little bits OF informatIon
-om all over the world
IT Ia certain that there Is no animal
fe on any OF the planets except the
arth, Mars. Mercury and Venus. Jupiter.
hich Is seven times as large as the |
irth, has plastic surface of sub
ance of density half way between
lat or MIR and water. II is still I'm A >
sseous state and undergoing the process
soIidffcation that would make n nt for c
10 reception OF life. &