The Washington times., 1920-02-01
S[ARCHuGHT TALK
TO MARS PLANNED
Sperry GYoscope Experts Will
ing to Undertake Test by
Using $50 at Once.

NEW YORK. Feb. i.-communiea-
tlon with the planet Mars possibly
may be established by searehiisht
nashes This is the theory OF en-
cheering experts OF the sperry Gyro-
scope Company. who are eager TO un-
dertske the test.
Assuming that Mars may have In
habitants as far advanced In science
as those Of the earth. and who
possess astronomical instruments as
powerful as we have, the experts are
OF the opinion that in due time com
nunication between the two bodies
could be opened.
Preston r. Bassett. research engi-
neer. and M L. Patterson, search light
specialist. who supervised theOcon-
struction of 400 or more searchiights
for the army and navy. during the
war, declared yesterday that they be-
lisve communication by light between
the earth and Mars Is far more prac-
teal than by radio messages.
Mr.. Rassett said:
I'VE agree with DR.. Charles p.
steinmets. the noted inventor. that
II 10 not At all likely that the strange
wireless Interruptions reported by
Marconi come from Mars Radio
waves hug too close to the earth's
surface and do not penetrate Tar on
enough into space to make II possi-
bic that these Interruptions are wire
less messages from Mars.
SOC s~apchlIGhts Available
I'VE are ready to proceed on the
theory that with 12o searchiights OF
1 900, 900. 900 candle power each stimuli
taneous light flashes can be made
powerful enough to be discerned by
Mars.
"'There are now available between
200 and 800 searchlights that were
used by the army during the war.
They could be assembled at some
high altitude spot at compare
lively small cost The area re-
aufred for the searchlights and gen
orators wsuid not take more than q
city block, and the cost OF produc-
inE the high intensity light would
not cost more than 800 an hour
Altogether the experiment would not
exceed 32b, 900 at the most.
"The feasible time for the tests
would be in 1924, when Mars VIII
be 5000, 900 miles. from the earth,
the nearest IL ever comes. BY aim
ing these f2O searchlights OF 0oo.-
900, 600 candle-power each at Mars
we can get 80 900 times as much
energy as radfo names.
"The beams Of light will be less
nan 1000. 900 miles in diameter by
t.ie time they reach the planet
"Of course, we have to fRure on
lhe earth's absorption OF light, the
absorption Of the atmosphere OF
Mars and how much Of the light
,vill be diluted after the rays are
dashed.
Could EstabIish Code.
eve might be able to signal to
each other intelligently by numbers.
Later on we might be able to es-
, tablish q code by means Of which
the two bodies could communicate"
Mf. Eassett and Patterson agreed
that the tests should be made under
Governmental supervision. a
J. Loring Arnold. professor of
physics At New York University. an
nounced yesterday that he believed
there Is . possibility that the, un-
decipherable signals which have re-
Gently crept into wireless message
originate from some other world.
While agreeing with Marconi that
the weird signals may be due to
some extraordinary condition In the
higher atmosphere, Professor Arnold
does not entirely discard tho theory
of certain astronomers that the queer
notes are probably efforts Of another
world to attempt communication with
this earth.