The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-08-23
NJ. FLAMMARION
TELLS OF MARS
Famous French Astronomer
Describes Present Changes
of Seasons on Planet.
BELIEVES 1T is INHABITED
PROOF OF HUMAN ORIGIN OF
CANALS.

Paris, August-M Camille Flammar-
ion. the famous astronomer, who has been
observing the planet Mars, writes the fol-
lowing: AT the observatory Of Juvisin
near Paris, 1 obtained two drawings Of
Mars in telescope views. The south pole
is at the top. the north pole at the bot
tom. The first drawing was made June
IS. the second Aug. II. In the first the
upper polar SHOWS are very extended
whereas no trace of snow is visible at the
bottom.
IN the second drawing, the south pole
SHOWS are considerably diminished and
the north pole SHOWS are clearly manifest.
The differences are not due to variation
in the inclination of the axis of the planet
toward the earth for this variation be-
tween these dates is less than 6 degrees
They are due to the fact that the south
ern hemisphere of Mars is at present in
summer and the northern hemisphere in
winter.
Believes There's Life There.
1T results that the south pole SHOWS
have been melting for months every DAY.
while on the other hand, the north pole
SHOWS are growing in extent. This melting
is marked at the upper pole. not only by
a d1minution of the polar cap, but also
by the change in the surrounding area,
winch represents water resulting from
THUS there before our eyes are in these
summer nights, living world in which
the seasons show variations indicating
very intense climatological activity
1t is difficult to witness manifestations
of this activity without being convinced
of the existence of a kind of life there
assuredly very different from terrestrial
life, the nature of which it woOld be of
the greatest interest to ascertain
The Canals of Mars.
The statement of NJ. Flammarion is in
farasf{pp ina h
that the snow cap Of ole pole is melting
while that of the other is increasing. This
Is in line with the group Of scientists who
hold TO the canal and population theory
of Mars. Other scientists have asserted
that Ii is doubtful even that the polar
white Is snow, saying it may be due to
gases. The snow theory is generally &C
cepted now, however.
Professor Lowell of the Flagstaff obser-
VatOry says that the reason some of the
astronomers have been slow to accept the
canal theory is that they have been I'M
able TO see clearly on account of the at
mOsphere in the regions where their OBJ
SerVator1eS are Only few months ago
Professor Lowell telegraphed the Harvard
observatory that both he and an expert
photographer employed for that purpose,
had Photographic the canals of Mars. The
theory of the Lowell group of astrono-
merS is that Mars, worn by its great age
TO plain levels and devoid of cloud pre-
cipitaton, has been girdled with canals
extending from the polar regions. These
great canals show as green streaks, pos
slbly fifty miles wide. 1t is pointed out
that the green space is vegetation on
either side of the ditch. The vegetation
comes and goes with the seasons Of Mars.
All Connect With the Polar Sea.
1t is stated by Professor Lowell that
these canals prove their human origin by
the fact that all Of them connect with the
. polar seas and that not one Of them ends
: without doing so, as would be the case if
Iney were great gOrgeS caused by nature.
The uniformity of the canals and their
intersections, it is pointed out, clearly
demonstrate that they are artificial.
Professor Morse in his work, THE Story
of Mars" makes it clear that such a ire
mendous amount of labor would be pos
sible only on the accepted theory that the
inhabitant of Mars could do many times
the work of the inhabitant of earth, owing
to the hghtness of objects on that planet:
to the fact that the Martians have been
engaged in pSrfecting the irrigation sys-
TEN for possibly thousands of years. ever
since the precipitation began to fail, and
to the fact that the people of the planet
probably are farther advanced in civiliZa-
ton than the people of the earth. owing
TO the greater age of the planet.
The Double Canals.
One of the greatest mysteries of the
planet Mars has been the discovery that
some of the canals are double This has
been explained in various ways, one of the
explanations being that the double ap-
of the atmosphere, which has been
proved possible by experiments.
1t is asserted by scientists that the
problem that Mars has solved as to its
water supply will some day confront the
earth-that is in some millions of years
when the Rocky mountains have been
worn to a plain and the rivers and oceans
are gone Then, some of the scientists
who like to speculate on the future say
if the people don't begin to dig canals to
the two poles when the water shortage
i'll. l.
will perish, as it would be impossible 10
wait until the water disappeared and then
dig them.
Many Mars Expeditions Out.
At this time Mars is in the best condi-
ton Tor observation it has been in for
many gears. Expeditions are in many
parts of the world especially to observe
the planet particularly the Andes noun
talns and northern Africa and Arizona,
where the atmosphere is less dense.