The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-11-04
MIGHTY STORMS =
0 F. D I. ON MARS
PLANET LACKS OCEANS AND
= b MOUNTAINS, AND Is DRY.
saddening Picture Of World in Desc
lation Except for the Fertile Spots
History of Research into the Red
Planets Appearance. :
Boston TRANSCRIPT.

414C SCCUui u Clt lectures DT fTOlCS-
sor Percival lowell on Mars as the
abode of life, called together an audi
ence that filed Huntington hall
In his introduction Mr.. Lowell re-
ferred for a moment to the fact that
in the first lecture sixty minutes was
devoted to what nature had needed
millions of years to accomplish, and
naturally, all the important points had
not been mentioned.
The story proper of the evening was
of the general features of Mars.
Separated from our earth by the
soundless ocean of space said the lee
turer, "there circles like it about the
sun another body formed by the same
forces and differing from the world we
live on primarily in size. Being neigh
Dor to us in the original meteoric plen-
UNI it offers all the greater assurance
material.' This point of common or
igin in material was the basis of the
argument. A tabulation spread before
the audience gave the comparisons with
the earth in a variety of items. Mars
has a diameter about one-half that of
the earth: a mass of about one-ninth
and the gravity upon its surface is
about ..38 Of gravity hero. Its day is
forty:one minutes longer than our own,
its year about twice as long, and the
inclination of, its axis. to the plane of
the ecliptic not very different from our
own, sufficient to give to its surface
the different relations to the suns per-
pendicula1 rays that will assure it sea-
sonal changes. These in point Of time
are not equally. divided: as with us,
ton of spring. The lecturer called at
tention to the fact that the doubling
the length Of the season has an I'M
pertant effect, and would, make certain
conditions vary quite widely from our
terrestrial representations Of the same
season., and this probably is quite vital
to the vegetation Of Mars.
= Important in the massing of argu
ments was the description Of the color
ings and change of tints which may be
observed on Mars This was quite in
detail and served as the basis for the
description Of the changes in color
Evidence was offered that the white
spots which lie at the two poles of the
sphere are really frozen: regions anG
by elimination, nothing but water, its
yapsor and snow and ice. could fully
fulfil the condition observed. It may
has snowy regions about its poles Just
as the earth has, and in this connec
ton came the rather surprising state.
ment, surprising from the popular view.
point, that we are living within the
snow cap of the earth, since we would
so observe it if we could be; trans
ported to distance above the earth
a few millions Of miles and 'see our
selves as others see as" There are
changes in the size of the polar caps
and there come other tints, blush,
which advance and recede with the
melting Of the snow caps, and these
it, must be conceded are connected with
the diminution Of the polar SHOWS
1.-Two vital facts flow from this de-
cisive verdict Of the melting of the
snowcaP,' said the speaker, Zone, the
presence Of water both on the surface
and in the atmosphere of Mars; the
other the existence there Of a tempera-
the earth. Both are essential to life
and both go to prove deductively much
more than they .. directly establish. -
In a later lecture we are promised the
proofs of a fairly high temperature,
which is .vouchcd for. by other condi-
tions, and this in turn helps to, confirm
us in the deduction that what we see
is water. =. - ?. :. - :. =
There is no question as to the tenuity
of the atmosphere Of Mars, This is
shown, mot by the instantaneous oc-
cultation Of stars at the limb, as has
been argued, for there. are here other
matters to consider, such as tie. enor-
nous brightness of the planet, but by
other. proofs, such as the unclouded
self-exposition Of the; planets face.
There are at times under certain con
ditions, distractions, due to what may
be comparable with a. spring haze,
when some local conditions Of melting
or evaporation permit it. It is, how
ever, not to be questioned that water
vapor is constituent Of the air, and
this is a guarantee that its less volatile
associates are there, and then in proper
order. should, be nitrogen, oxygen and
carbonic acid gas. 2.s, @@.
s. The latter items, however, are shown
by a different set Of reasons to be pres
ent1in Mars, if one considers the colors
and the color-variation. Then followed
something of the history of research,
when the blue-green areas were thought
to be seas. Doubts arise in this belief
when, notwit outstanding the variations in
tint, some fundamental Topographic
markings are found to be constant, a.
discovery not at all compatible with
oceans, and finally it seems beyond
doubt that there are no bodies Of water.
on tho planet 8 surface large enough
to be perceived at our distance, save
the fFeshets due to the melting Of the
polar. SHOWS, So Mars is an ceanless
world. - 4! go So ~
The speaker carried forward. his skill
fully woven threads OF argument in this