The Washington herald., 1907-02-14
Mars and It's Canals.

Poised high in the mid heavens. the
planet Mars presents to the naked eye
merely steady CLEAN of reddish light,
Under powerful telescope, however, it
reveals conditions which excite magma
ton and wonder. The latest discoveries
have been embodied in book form by Dr.
rector Lowell. of the observatory at Flag
stan, Ariz., a location admirably suited
to telescope investigation, because the air
is dry and clear and still
CuriOusly enough. the American Desert,
in the heart of which the Flagstaff OBJ
servatory is located. is counterpart Of
the physical surface of Mars Viewed
through the telescope, the planet presents
la vast area of reddish-brown OF ocher-
colored surface. with large patches
blue-green in color. There is no doubt
that the former are deserts. for dust
storms are at times plainly discernible.
In fact, Mars has reached that point in
its evolution where it stands between the
moon, an arid and desolate body. and the
earth, which is still well watered and
fertile. The blue-green patches are UNI
doubtedly great areas of vegetation. The
most curious feature of Mars, however. is
the network of canals which cross It's
surface I'm all directions. These canals.
first seen by SchiapereIH in 1877, have
since been the subject Of much conten-
ton, and many astronomers have gone
SO far as TO say that they exist only
IN the Imagination of the observers-in
other words, that they are optical iIlu-
sions- Director Lowell. however. has
demonstrated beyond a doubt that they
really exist, for not only have their
changes been observed, but they have
been photographed. They are remark
able creations. not only because some of
them are two and three thousand miles
long. but also because they are from one
TO twenty-five miles wide. The narrower
canals appear in the telescope ike thin
nest gossamer and are only visible as
glimpses under the most favorable con-
ditions. The larger ones can be studied
with more certainty. At the intersection
OF the canals are round spots which are
either lakes OF cases.
The purpose Of these canals has been
made apparent after years of persistent
and thorough study They radiate from
the poles Of the planet, where are stu
ated the ice caps which form during the
long winter. The Marian year is twice
as long as ours. and the winter lasts six
months During this period the fee and
snow gather at the poles. This CONCEALED
vapor covers a large territory. but is not
Of great thickness. for it melts rapidly
and during 1904 the ice cap at the south
pole entirely disappeared The inhabi-
tsnts of Mars unquestionably carry the
water from the poles to the arid regions
for the purpose of irrigation. There is no
more doubt of this fact than of the ex-
istence of similar irrigation in the arid
plains of our own West Ocular demon
stration exists IN the change OF color
Of certain portions Of the planet from
dark-brown TO green shortly after the ice
caps begin 10 diminish through the melt
ing process.
Mars is certainly Inhabited We know
almost everything about il except the
character Of these inhabitants We know
that they live or a planet which has
remarkably fiat surface the highest ele-
vations being little more than 1900 feet,
where the atmosphere is very thin and
where water is scarce. There is vegeta-
ton on the planet. as on the earth. and.
reasoning from analogy. life must be
similar to ours. Whether in the course
Of future years our information regard
ing our neighboring world viii become
more definite IS a question now beyond
our ken. Enough is already known. how
ever, to warrant many accurate state
ments and to stimulate the imagination
to the highest degree.