The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-07-05

scopic observa tons which have shown
the presence of an atmosphere contain
ing water vapOr but by the regular
waxing and waning of the white
patches of snow that surround the
Marian poles. In other physical re-
spects Mars is essentially similar 20
the earth, and it requires no great
stretch of imagination to see how the
human constitution could be modified
to live there.
So far the evidence for life on Mars
confines itself to asserting its posi-
bihty. Direct evidence of its presence
has been sought, and, as some hold,
with success. This consists mainly in
the apparently regular change of GER
tain features of the planets surface,
which is attributed by Mr.. Lowell ana
others to the action of intelligent be-
tngs. These are the well-known "ca-
nails" seen in the best telescopes as a
network of lines on the Marian sur
face which at certain seasons of the
year appear to be duplicated.
Some observers maintain that they
are simply an optical delusion-that
the wish to see them is father to the
observation. But a little positive evil
dence in such matters outweighs much
negative If two or three men have
seen thing, it is poor answer that
twenty or thirty have not. Hence we
are entitled TO consider, at least as
working hypothesis the theory that
these singlar marks are due to some
vast engineering or agricultural oper-
atoms on Mars.
If, then. we assume the probability
of sentient life on Mars, it is an easy
step TO suppose that its inhabitants
may wish to communicate with other
planets, just as we should dearly like
TO communicate with them. Hence Il
is often supposed that any remarkable
appearance on Mars may be a signal
to our address. The chief difficulties
In thus interruptng such an observa-
ton as Mr.. Lowell has just made are
twofold. The first is that the gigantic
size of such a signal for us to perceive
II seems to bar the possibility of its
artificial nature.
Sir Robert Ball says that signalling
from Mars to the earth would need
flag the size of Ireland or an cleo
trio light as big as London. There is
no great exaggeration in such a calcu-
lation. Probably the projection which
has just been observed is due to sun
light striking cloud at a hight of
some twenty miles in the Marian at
mosphere, according to the received ex-
PLANTATION of similar observations made
four or five times within the last gen
GRAFTON. But IL the Martians are real
ly so far advanced in engineering as
to be able to carry out irrigation
works on the vast scale that the ca
nails imply, they ought to be capable
of making such signals; If money was
no object, even a terrestrial engineer
could arrange a system of electric
lights that would send a flash as far
as Mars
The second and more powerful OBJ
lection to the signal theory is that no
intelligent message has been sent
whence it is more natural to conclude
that these projections are merely ac-
cidental cloud reflections. Before we
accept the assertion that Mars is sig
Mailing, we must wait for something
that can be twisted into a message
| be it as elementary as the zone, two
three" which Mr. Tesla once found
arriving from outer space on his wire
less telegraphic receiver What we
have recently learned of the possibili-
ties of wireless telegraphy, or of that
still subtler form or radiation which is
vaguely perceived in the phenomena Of
telepathy and thought transference
suggests that when Mars tries in earn
est to communicate with us II win rot
! be by mere hello ~aphy or flag wdg-
ging." We are daily getting wireless
messages from the sun; why should
not a sentient being send us one from
Mars some day? But there is no use in
being ~'too previous" and one must
conclude that there is no ground for
supposing that what Mr.. Lowell saw
was a signal from Mars, though it
would be highly unscientific TO deny
the possibility Of such an explanat ton