Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-07
MARKINGS ON MARS
Astronomers Declare Planet Is
100000 Miles Away.
PLEASANT TO LIVE THERE
People Wiser and More Prudent Than
We.
PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN IN ANDES
Canals Are Developed-World Anxi-
Gus to Know of Existence of Life
There-Its Features.
PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN IN ANDES
Special CabIegram TO The Star.

There-Its Features.
| Special Cablegram 10 The Star
| ROME, August 5.-Signor Schiapparein
| the Italian astronomer. ard NJ Camille
| Flammarion are in correspondence regard
| ing the subject of Mars its possible canals
| and Inhabitants. Signor Schiapparelli. It
will be remembered. was the first to dis
cover. some thirty years ago. the mark
| ings on the planet Mars now popularity
! Known as the canals. Interviewed as to
| his present studies OF the planet which is
now only about 35,0O0,oOO miles from the
earth. Signor Schiapparelli stated that
| since his early researches Mars had already
| approached the earth in fashion similar
to its present movements fourteen times,
| but that it had been possible to make but
| few new discoveries. although some knowl-
| edge was being added year by year to that
already possessed. Slgnor SchiapparelII
went on to say that he placed great hopes
in the photographs that to be secured
by Prof. Perceval Lowell In America
With respect to the difference Of opinion
! entertained with regard to Mars Sgnor
| Schiapparelli asserts his firm belief not
only in the existence of the canals, but
! that they cleverly distributed accord
/ ing to a settled plan. Several OF them in
/ enty canals which converge toward the
| common center. This. he declares. cannot
| be the work of chance, but shows a mar
velous harmony of system. Some OF the
| canals are so long that they would cross
an entire continent II on the face OF the
| earth.
| Do Not Resemble Human Beings
Signor SchiappareIli. however declares
that there is nothing to indicate that there
| are upon Mars individuals closely resem-
bling human beings
Asked II he thinks inter-planetary COM
| munication may be established some day.
Signor Schiapparell! remarked that 1t was
| impossible to even venture an opinion as to
| what the future would bring forth-that In
astronomical matters incredible progress
had already been attained. For instance
scientific research had revealed the fact that
| the sun contained iron. zinc and other met
ais. Hence while 1t would be madness to
entertain any very sanguine hopes. II was
| equally certain thet science had many new
and great surprises In store for the world
| in the near future.
| NJ Camille Flammarion. commenting upon
| the fact that Mars. which Is generally at
J least 100000 miles away from the EARTH
] Is at present not more than 35. 900 900 dis
| tant remarks that 1t must be a pleasant
| planet to live in. as the weather Is always
| fine and the sky is always cloudless The
winds are never high: there are no rains or
| storms. "It Is" he observes the Monte
| Carlo Of planets" man on the earth
| would find himself 90 per cent lighter IL he
went to Mars. Marian life. he says is
| probably far ahead OF ours for the planet Is
| much older. Life there must be more slow
and quiet than here. for the Marian year is
| twice as long. The Martians must be less
worried less agitated. less nervous. more
| thoughtful wiser and more prudent than
we.
NJ Flemmarion believes in the famous
| Schappsrelli canals. which he supposes to
| be natural watersheds improved by artificial
means. But he has no faith in the sup
posed luminous signals which some have
imagined Martians to be making. He con-
cludes that If they have reached a stage of
| development which would cause them to In
duge in signals to the earth they would be
possessed OF intelligence which would en-
able them to proceed along more rational
| lines. These spots Of light which have been
noted by many astronomers he believes to
be merely the snow-clad peaks Of noun
| tains However, he does not say that 1t
will be impossible to communicate with
Mars at some time In the future. He re-
CARDS 1t not only as possible but probable.
but objects to the means Of telegraphing
signals in the manner suggested as hardly
logical.
But the entire astronomical world. though
| somewhat skeptical. Is nevertheless walt
| graphs which Mr.. Lowell, the American
Mars enthusiast. wires from Flagstaff.
Ariz.. his expedition has succeeded in OBJ
tanning in the Andes I. Is quite generally s,ny
previous "oppositions.' has greatly in
creased astronomical knowledge on the
changes Of the surface features OF Mars
Some Of these features. however. accord
Ing to European astronomers behave diff
ferently at different periods of "oppost-
| ton" For instance. some of the canals
than at others This is chiefly due to the
seasonal changes in Mars, but 1t has also
been partly accounted for by secular
changes-that- Is. changes over q longer
period than q year.
Believed to Be Inhabited.
Schiapparelli when he discovered these
channels on Mars. called them "canala.''
which is. Of course. literally translated
canals" But the average EnsIishman.
arguing mentally that canals must be the
work OF man. jumped to the conclusion
that Mars must, or at least might be, M
habited. This Idea became so firmly fxed
In the minds OF the people OF the world
that even Schapparelli gave up trying to
correct the false impression that obtained
and tired Of explaining that at the time
that he selected the word "canala" he Sc
lected 1t without the slightest reference as
to whether Mars was or was not inhabited.
The channels. maps Of which have been
drawn and published by Mr. Lowell might,
however. be anything. One popular theory
is that the lines by which their direction
can be observed Is vegetation.
Ever since in 1905 Mr.. Lampland. one OF
Mr.. Lowelfs assistants. obtained the
tual photographs Of those canals the scen-
tific world has been prepared to believe al
most anything possible in this connection.
The conditions this year are said by the
photographers and astronomers of Europe
to be far better than in 1905 and for this
reason the scientific world here anxously
awaits the publication OF all OF the informa-
ton now being collected in Arizona and In
the Andes.
But II 1t should happen that intelligent
life should eventually be discovered on the
planet Mars IT will undoubtedly be power
full tribute to the psychological power of
word. II SchiaPpareln had happened to Sc
lect some other name than "canala' II is TO
be doubted whether the world would have
witnessed the advance In studies along
these particular lines. The very fact that
the whole world Is anxious to know the
truth makes the problem one OF unusual
fascination to the scientists. though II
they were anxious to prove the existence of
life on other planets there are ways which
would probably have been more productive
Of results. But the greatest scientists have
not hestated to approach the subject. No
less an astronomer than Prof Lester Ward
thinks that Mars is inhabited and that IT