New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-02-11
CANALS ON MARS.
Further Proof Of Their Actual Formation.

Ever since the presence OF canals or channels
| (canaIO the surface OF the planet Mars was
first described by the italian astronomer. q Y.
Scn1apareln IN 1871 the question OF their characess
ard even OF their real existence has been keealy
debated On the one hand. they have been accept
ed as truly material formations and various ny-
potheses have been advanced explain them such
as that they are waterways connecting with oceens
or that they consist OF lines vegetation growing
along irrigation works which dsrfvs their water.
from the seasonal melting OF the polar Slows snt
are the result OF intelligent effort OF some sort Or
that they are merely great riffs produced IN tho
globe by uneven contraction cooling. On sns
other hand some competent Observers have failed
20 detect the canals at all, while others who have
succeeded in seeing them have agreed with each
other IN their descriptions OF what they saw. IN
consequence has been suggested thar these canals
or channels OF the OF illusions OF vision
and the definite features that appear On ens
drs wings. but rather the result OF slight susxes
tons made 20 the eye by more or less f-regrAr
differences in the minute shadfngs and color ttres
on the surface OF the planet"
Within the last few months fresh light has osas
thrown on the question by piece OF WORK carried
out at the Lowell Observatory az FiAsytxr. ARR.
The observers there have always BEEN among tbs
most mos s1ccessTuI N seeing and craving the canals;
vations by attempt to photograph them In shs
position in the spring Of last yeas. when L vas
comparatively near the earth The oossryatosy
a task It stands ESQ feet above sea level ana
srs ~ the stnoSnbere which trcors-SoSs oss-r1s
tories al less attitudes and Il possesses the lsrg-
ton Further me air is int Intensely dry AID L. CUR
tortion and obifteratfon or detail than AZ iower
levels IN humid conditions Without such ad-
wth tSsm Was one q sxaoGnSS ssSsS
and delicacy. and called for nunosrisss prssaa-
It must be remembered that the Diameter OF Go
Of are and that the view Of 1t to be o6S1insd sss
with the largest telescopes in favorable condTions
moon with the naked eye Bur 10 secure ne re-
SecessGy at Fs 81 ITO 70 use Only he Central pos
tiop OF The Pinch object glass OF sas telescope.
an effective diameter OF twelve inches; color
screen was employed that allowed only me ss.sow
live plates which had TO Do used permitted expo
ing that time the utmost care had 10 be exercised
10 insure that the telescope followed tne pianst
The result was that Mr.. LamDland,- Professor
LoweIIs assistant ar Flagstaff succeeded IA obtain
ing in Nav and June a number OF photographs OF
the planet at direrent stages OF rotation. which
show canals quite distinctly and even present inci-
cations OF The DOUBLING which has been regarded as
themselves. When a series OF these photographs
taken on the same night IN close succession Is ex-
from one to the other. though naturally soms OF
the pictures are better than others: and cornpaS-
Professor Lowell himself at about the same dates
shows a close correspondence between the two.
canals having the same position and direction es-
graphs. even 10 the unframed observer. The dern-
ing or the eye. however. y so uloca sC-eror
70 that OF the photographs plate that although
some canals and 10 GASES have been made our
by Professor Lowell himself the photographs have
far revealed only about forty canals and rcslr
I'VE cases n IL be admitted that the photozrupnio
plate cannot lie and can yield representations
only or things that have real objective exissence.
the conclusion TO be drawn from the consrancy OF
the markings the successive photographs OF 4
series and the correspondence betwssn pnotosraph.
OF different series and almost contaxnp0ranaous
drawings BY Professor Lowell would sssn to be-
that the canals whatever be their mature and
origin. cannot be mere subjective illusions on the
part OF certain observer Put have an actual sx-
Istence as material formations on the surface os
Mars.-slondon ItrneA