The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-10-23
SIGNALING WITH MARS.
Prof. Brooks Describes His Idea OF
Calling Up the Red Planet.

(Prof. VIM. r. Brooks in Colliers.)
AS the opposition Of Mars on the
Gath of this present month ap-
proaches, renewed interest is mani
tested in the fascinating subject of
signaling with our planetary neigh
Dor.
At previous favorable opposition,
about is years ago, certain astrono-
mers saw some unusually bright
points flashing out from the surface
of Mars, which led to the idea that
they were signals; and some more i'm
aginative than the rest thought these
signals took the shape of the Greek
letter o-Theos. God.
This. Of course, raises the old and
ever-popular question, one which Is
asked the astronomer more frequent
ly than any other: Is Mars inhabited
and by intelligent beings?
The most that the conservative as
tronomer is willing to say is that the
apparent conditions there seem suited
for habitation. Mars has the success
sion of day and night similar to the
earth, the only difference being that
their day is half an hour longer than
ours. They have the same beautiful
recurrence Of the seasons. with a
year nearly twice the length Of our
own.
Added to this are the So called ca
mails Of Mars, and, of course, IL we
accept the artificial character of these
striking features of our neighboring
planet. the question of it's habitabiIity
Is settled. These canals are so num-
erous and on such gigantic scale
that they must have been wrought by
people of extraordinary engineering
skill and industry. Being older than
ourselves, they may be much farther
advanced.
These. inhabitants may differ from
us greatly in form and structure and
development. and be perhaps-humil-
iating thought-vastly our superiors.
This being granted, it will be seen
that they could easily follow us in
any system of signals that we might
construct, be they never so complex
and gigantic.
What kind of signals are possible
that would be likely to attract atten-
ton of the people on Mars, assuming
that they possess eyes and telescopes
comparable to our own?
The method proposed by the writer
is the establishing OF a great area of
electric lights that could be flashed on
and off at regular intervals during
cur midnight hours. these flashes 10
be arranged not necessarily after the
Adorse code, FOR It were idle To sup
pose that the Martians are familiar
With this. But a much simpler ar
rangement is suggested. A series. FOR
instance, of five or, seven flashes of
one minute duration each, with an
equal space between; then an open
interval of 10 minutes. to be follow
ed by another series of flashes of one
minute each, and SO on. Let these
signals be repeated every night for
several weeks before, during and af-
ter opposition. Of course, we should
not expect an immediater esponse, for
considerable time would be required
to construct the answering signals.
Il we had ours ready by the next
opposition Of the planet in Novem-
ter, 1911, then at thet succeeding op
position, in two years and .wu
months from that date. we might
Watch nightly for their response.
Or supposing we kept up the sig
rails at every opposition until the
next equally favorable one, Is years
from now. and then received their
answer would it not pay? Would
no; the achievement be momentous,
Be true to thyself. and all things