The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-05-15
BY GEORGE c. TANNER.


One need not climb the Olymphian
heights Of astronomy to see that some Of
the planets that belong to the solar sys-
TEN are poorly illuminated while others
suffer from an excess Of light" This
goes 10 such extremes as 10 look ike a
great defect in "the divine scheme and
must continue to appear 50 unless a
proper solution can be found.
Mercury. Venus. and the earth are the
nearest planets TO the sun, and have lit
tie TO complain Of with respect 10 light,
but, Mars who is next beyond us is by
no means so well favored and his inhabit-
ants must feel sadly the need of light
and heat.
Mars is FIVE times colder than the
earth. Light and heat are its great neces-
stiles, and when the sO-called canals"
on Mars have been proven a fallacy, as
tho theory will unquestionably be. it will
be found that the divices we see on
this planet and supPose-to-be canals
will be nothing more than an apparatus
TO control and ameliorate the climate.
We can conceive the necessity of a
vast system Of water conduits where
there is a deficiency in the supply, but,
why such immense canals? a canal TO
be seen by one of our most powerful
telescopes on Mars must be several
hundred miles broad When a canal ten
miles wide would conduct a sufficient
supply Of water to satisfy many millions
with all the necessities in that line. 4
canal twenty-five miles broad would he
a supertuity. then why one of 800 miles?
These canals" are seen % be movable
and many astronomers have so recorded.
This would put the canal theory to
the blush. II there be anything more I'M
mobile than a canal We cannot recall
what IL may be.
The poles Of Mars shows an abundance
Of snow Snow does not argue a want Of
humidity With the rigors Of the climate.
face than it does.
The snow. lines nj the noIos ~ Mars
do not extend very much beyond those Of
the earth. This could not possibly be
the case without artificial means being
used 20 soften the climate The planet
Mars presents the appearance OF a vast
opal. and all appearances indicate a huge
system Of artificial Illumination which
the lack Of light from the sun has made
incumbent upon the part Of the Martians
When We determine that to be the case
we come very near a confirmation Of the
theory that the so-caIled canals" are
nothing more or less than a practical
divice on the part OF the NIartians TO
control and conquer the rigo~s OF their
climate.
Photographs Of the different appear-
ances Of these divices show q decided
mechanical ARRANGEMENT. such as might
be used in imprisoning the air. then per
haps heating it and distributing # as
conditions and needs require We be-
llcve that the more rational theory and
that it will yet be confirmed by advanced
research.
Jupiter, which surpasses us in bulk
favored with resDect 10 light ana 10 tho
Iupiterian is like wa aro q ,s,- NJ 1i,-r.
is an immense treat n bi-, and r1.,o,1 ~,
orr earth or Venus the i,,aDsf+,, 90
Iiqbt y,o,,r5 d,,,r+1o,. t,,,,., ~,
Il IS very reasonable n supDoee that
this Is now undergoing a nren,r,tior
which wifi uItirnato1,- ft g, f,, ,.+io,,,,
human beings and tb,+ re- -, =. a. -.
as It was on this earth DrIor 70 the ,d-
wont NJ ma, tro,,,,b 3, No. p. -,
that rational life NAV exist there atted
for the conditions nv which tbe,, End
tbemssIveA surrounded
Saturn which Is ono NJ +i., moot. ,-..--.
ousIv beautiful objects y.brc,, dc H.,
starry sphore and thrills 1s with Sc AZ
ouisite grandure and marniGcerco r,r,st
envy our little unprotontious earth for
all the light that is so Iavisbfno1,, no,
slowed upon us. and the want ~ which
Il must suffer greatly.
Beyond Saturn Uranus must no VOID
Of all life being comparatively in the
dark. The sun when seen must present
the appearance Of Venus or the EVENING
star does 10 us AT the brightest
.s..
Neptune can hardly be rescued by
human optics from complete and dismal
darkness. and would doubtless never have
been discovered but for the aid OF mathe-
mates.
This same agency hints strongly at a
planet even beyond Neptune which has
never vet come within range Of the
human eye; and what lies stiH beyond
belongs to the province OF conjecture
only
We then behold nj one end Of our svs-
tenn extreme light. and at the other IN
fathomable darkness.
From all appearances our earth, So far
as proximity to the sun and advantage in