The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-10-26


iris earth would some day commune
rate with, II they did not visit, other
cords than ours. The late Professor
percivel Lowell of Harvard. than
rhom there never was a saner student
nj the heavens. frequently made this
orognostication. And he has left as
trononers as notable as himself who
sre concerned with ways and means to
carry out this dream.
Many Of them hesitated whether
they should choose for this infinite ex-
tension of knowledge OF the sidereal
mysteries the surface of the moon or
Of Mars. Almost without exception
they have now settled on the latter and
in this twentieth century interest In
the heavenly body that we mistakenly
ca. our satellite has waned.
Reasons for this are plentiful: the
moon is a dead planet, a world without
life, a world without atmosphere,
water, heat or the power to conserve
and radlate the latter. conditions which
preclude the possibility that any
beings bearing the remotest resem-
biance to ourselves can be alive
upon It.
a Moon with Water.
There are astronomers who still CO.
,cuet with her and who contradict the
assertions made above. Yet IL the
moon has an atmosphere it is one of
excessive tenuity, unable to hold clouds
or any appreciable quantity Of aque-
GUS vapor in suspension. Once there
was water on the mon. 1t has dried
up.
Mars. therefore, absorbs the inter-
est Of astronomers who, like Prof.
David Todd. the astronomer OF Am
herst College. are progressive 1t has
been the dream of these progressivists
TO communicate with this planet and
DR.. Todd voicing their desire has
said;
Mars in the future, as in the past,
swings further and further away at
each returning opposition, until, in
1924 mountain observatories, larger
telescopes and keener Photographic
processes will all play their part in
threading the labyrinthine mystery of
the Marian world, and a perfected
ETHEREAL telegraphy may, we'll within
reason, permit Ineligible speech
from earth ~ Mars and from Mars to
earth, across the cosmic void"
When a scientist writes and speaks
Ike poet, when he takes himself out
Of the class of men. "old and dim, for
whom the shadow O. the earth eclipse
Judgment" it is time to wake I'D to
who he is. DR.. Todd Is an astronomi-
cal authority. His book STARS and
Telescopes" (to name but one) and
his contributions to magazines writ
ten in a popular vein have made him
widely heard of by people to whom
astronomical names are strange. In
1873 he made his first astronomical
expedition, being sent to Texas by the
United States Navy Department to
view a total eclipse OF the sun. In
1881 he became a director of the OBJ
servatory at Amherst and year after
re conducted an expedition to Mount
Hamilton. where he had charge of the
observations of the transit of Venus.
Chief among other notable astronomi-
cal expeditions led by him was that
TO the Andes in 1907, the object of
which was a study of Mars in Apo
sition. More than 1900 photographs
were then taken and much new ma
terial was gathered for further study
OF the rudy planet.
DIR. Todd's Societies.
nr Todd is a member of many So
cietles and clubs; fellow of the Amer
lean Association for the Advancement
Of Science, member of the Philosophi-
cal Society of Washington, the AS
Economical and Astrophysical Society
the Aero Club of America, the Bos-
ION Authors Club, the UnivcS sity Club
OF Boston, the Astronomische Gesell-
schaft of Germany, the Societe Ma
ttonale DIES Scienses Naturelles ct
Aathematiques of Cherbourg, the
Geographical Society of Lima, the
Royal Society of Arts and Sciences OF
London and others.
For several years this scientist has
wished TO make a great effort'to COM
municate with Mars, and In 1916 he
was making herculean efforts to dc
20, or at least to prepare to try. This
experiment was to have been under
taken in conjunction with A. Leo Ste
fens chief instructor in ballooning II
The United States Army. The entrance
OF this country in the world war tool
ar. Stevens out OF the experiment, an(
It was not made.
Balloonist Stevens went to France
with the \. L. F.. but on his return
Dr. Todd sought him out and their In.
terrupted plans were recommended
As result, In March, 1920, there will
soar from the U. S. Government bal
loon' the largest In the history of aero
'oo't the largest In the history Of areo
hduttcs, steered by Leo Stevens ant
carrying DR.. Todd and a suite of scien
usts and helpers, with paraphernaliS
intended to send messages to Mars
When the balloon attains a height o
approximately $4,000 feet wireless mes
cages will be sent to It from the earth
These messages 1t is intended to picl
Up ~ Instruments attached to the out
eoe OF the balloon. But their effec
Is not to stop there. They are to q
on across millions OF miles. travel II
idci to the outer atmosphere envelop
ing our neighboring planet, and arous
us inhabitants by these unfamilia!
means to endeavor to make answer.
Think Answer VIII Come.
vi there be an answer? Why not
ass astronomers who are convince,
.l'a' tNe Martians are as eager to tall