The Washington times., 1904-04-17

mine the force Cor downward PUN of
gravity upon the surface Of a planet,
and this affects the size of things Thus
gravity on the surface Of Mars is only
little more than one-third what it is on
the surface OF the earth-a fact which
would work in two ways. The first way
would be in tightening the weight Of
things so that three times as much work
would be done by expanding only once
as much or the same muscular force
that we do here. In the next place
nature could afford to build her inhabi-
tants on three times the scale she does
here. since the Iightness of the gravitory
pull would make them exceedingly MIN
bic. We think Of large person or thing
as being exceedingly heavy. but on
Mars, where he or would not have the
same weight of gravity 20 overcome,
this heaviness would not exist. Conse-
quentiy by the mere influence Of his
size, coupled with the greater lightness
Of the materials with which he would
be called upon 70 deal, he should be able
to really do many times as much work
as any poor struggling earthling, and
70 do il with much greater speed"
How this is scientifically worked out is
shown by Professor Lowell. VINO does
not hesitate TO draw a very striking
picture Of the effective powers Of the
Marian.
TO see this" he says. 'let US con-
slider a very simple caSe-that Of
standing erect. To this everyday feat
Is opposed the weight OF the body
simply-a' thing of three dimensions.
height. breadth aud thickness-while the
ability to accomplish st resides in the
cross section Of the muscles Of the knee.
a thing OF only two dimensions-breadt
and thickness.
Consequently, a person half as large
again as another has about twice the
supporting capacity Of that other. but
about three times as much to support
Standing therefore will tire him more
quickly.
IF his size were to go on increasing,
he would at last reach a stature at
which he would no longer be able to
stand az all. but would have 20 lie
down. You shall see the same effect
In quite inanimate objects. Take two
cylinders Of paraffine wax, one made
into an ordinary candle. the other into
a giant facsimile Of one. and then
stand both upon their bases. To the
small one nothing happens. The big one.
however. begins 70 settle, the base actu-
ally made viscous by the pressure Of the
weight above. Now, apply this principle
70 a possible inhabitant OF Mars. and
suppose him 20 be constructed three
times as large as a human being in
every dimension. II he were on earth
he would weigh twenty-seven times as
much. but on the surface Of Mars, since
gravity there IS only about one-thiTd
Of what il is here. he would weigh but
nine times as much. The cross section
OF his muscles would be nine times as
great Therefore the ratio OF his sup
porting power to the weight he must
supports would be the same as ours.
Conseqently, he would be able TO stand
with as little fatigue as we.
Now. consider the work he might be
able to do. His muscles, having length,
breadth and thickness. would all be
twenty-seven times as effective as ours.
He would prove twenty-seven times as
strong as we. and could accomplish
twenty-eeven times as much But he
would further work upon what required.
owing 10 decreased gravity, but one
third the effort to overcome. His ef
fective force, therefore, would be eighty
one times as great as mans, whether
in digging canals or in other bodily
OCCUPATION