The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1904-10-03

TO them. indicating merely the sys-
TEN. while Ne wait 20 find some
certain explanation Of the great
Marian mystery.
In a similar way the name al
seas has been given 90 the dark
grayiHh regions observed on the
planet. We cannot affirm that they
are stretches Of water. there are
even reasons Tor doubling this. such
as the lght belts which cross sew
eral the absence Of polarization Of
light and the fact that the reflee-
ton % the sun has never been oh
served In them whereas IL should
shine Ia a Marian sea like a star
OF the third magnitude"
How, then. could the so-called
canals be explained"
The more one studies the won
derfui system crossing the plant.
sphere IN all dlrestion and appear
ina az first As II traced with a def
mite object. the less natural il an
pears. answered Flammarion med
itatively. No more than the seas.
can these canals be pronounced
water. and vet. like the seas. they
appear 20 have a positive relation
With water We know that water
exists on Mars. Each OF the two
poles ~ covered in It's respective
winter with an abundant snow In
the form OF cap When xurIne
comes. the thaw begins. aud during
this period the SHOWS are always
surrounded by a dark border which
by It's polarization Of ligh. IL proved
to be water. and which extends pro-
nortionately as the thaw advances
This rapid and extensive fusion
naturally reacts on the surface of
Mars. With us. the thaw Of the
polar SHOWS is not OF much cones-
quence as an ocean goes from one
pole TO the other. and when the
thaw raises the level at one end
this Is atoned for by freezing al the
other.
such compensation cannot occur
on Mars. The vast sea surrounding
tho south pole is entirely separated
from the other smaller seas around
the north pole The water on both
hemlspheres can only maintain its
equilibrium by passing through the
continents. And for this reason. the
variations observed In the hydro
graphical system Of the planet may
be attributed largely 20 this alter
nate freezing and thawing Of the
SHOWS around the two poles.
The seas, plains, marshes. can
ais, change their appearance as the
season advances, becoming darker
and darker Progressively. the can
ais grow more visible. and they
even double, going through the still
enigmntlcal phenomenon called
termination. Instead OF one canal
two are seen. This termination has
been attributed to optical illusions
and though some illusions Of thia
nature may arise through wrong 70
eusing OF the telescope. or varia.
lions In temperature. or an imper.
feet adjustment OF the eye. never.
theleas double canals are some
times so well separated and last SO
long, that the termination may be
accepted as real Moreover. Il nsu-
ally comedies with the maximum Of
water
Certainly, what we see cnnnot
be canals some hundred miles in
breadth and several thousand miles
in length and all fun OF water. one
morning AZ sunrise ! was passing In
n balloon perhaps a mile above the
ffhino, nenr Cologne The green
snli9 biy beneath me. appearing To-
tas fhg t8lpam itself. which In real
ny Ssma fiaF4e rlhhnn IN the mlaat
u 31c0I S9sla Osxuf ON the cnHtb aeen
fboupo ~ Fasipsoa. hosx onnrti nn0rs
aaOfose eonaa II tp ON sznsr ias~n
fsfeh css ,yattl. NlbHs MI az assas