Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-01-30

Washington, Jan :-(By the As
soc:a-s6 P-ess,-1 wireless messages
a-s being received ~ the earth from
some other plans-. as suggested sy
VIZ. Aarcori, II Is not Mars sending
the signals, butz most probably Ven
Us, says Dr.. c. Z. Abbott, director o.
the Smithsonian As1-ephyslczl OBJ
ss-vaEory and assistant secretary Of
the Smithsonian institution. Or. Alb
pozI makes no ciatn that the mys-s-
rioEs wireless signals do come from
another planet, but says Z They dc.
Mars is eliminated as q possibility
because known condiunos Oh That
planet probably would not permit the
existence Of any form Of living
creature
In the first place" says Or. Alb
bor1, .'0n account Of the greater dis
cAncs nearly TWO and one hall times
this radiation The SUI reaches Mars.
Il Is probably hear LOG per Gent
colder or the average on that distant
planet than or rhe earth knowing
" 4Ic-A wv DGIl1 D44 -A-Al
earth II the course oe the win-sr sea
son. II VIII readily oe realized what
l9e degrees colder would mean II
the seconc place, even 4 any form Of
tIfe could Withstand that degree Of
cold. II IL KNOWN DEFINITELY ny ths
Investigations Of Director Campbell
OF LICK Observatory thar there Is
particularly nc water available II the
atmosphere surrounding Mars, which
fact crosses out the possibilities %
that planet.
The polar caps which are s=sr IT
Mars u1ay be either h0ar frns- from
the Minute traces Of water vaeor II
Marian atmosphere o. what Is cutie
as p-opahle, frozen ca-oorIr acid
gas. Tbs so-cEIIad canals Of Mars
a-e non-evistenI except as indefinite
markings according 10 such telescope
obss-vors as Barnard Hale and 9th
e-s VINO have observed with Crea-
telescopes under VET hight perfect
conditions.
But Il e Objected there rla- 5e
Other strange forms OF beings vhict
need no water or vegetation u nss-
TINS Is also reduced 70 1rupossi5--i-y ~
the facc thai az living things are MAD.
NJ largely OF different compounds =.
carbon. While rne steI!a- Spectrum
shows thar there IS carbon on AL hsav.
en4y bodies. -hs chsrica! combination.
d Ersis element s8ch as are required 70,
LIE mosEty require Temperatures nov.
freezing 70 prevent -Iglci-v. sc The *.
L-fn1aiy lpw temperatures OF Mars p-ob-
ally never higher tha2 zero, would no
allow ths carbon compounds u exist I
cnadIlon suitable +or organic life.
The planet Venus or -he other hand
shows every cousi-i0z necessary 70,
u2&inrEtCIng life. Il Is nearly the sarls
size as the sa-r- and Is even nearer tn.
SUI man tho F.a--r is This would AZ
pa-en-lg make the climate considerably
hotter On Venus except for Lhe fac- ina
-he atmosphere surrounding Venus Z:
continually cioucv. This universe.
clouGIness -eferetns the -aiia-lnr
from -he sIs-. REDUCES the temperature
70 EDoU- Inc same -Eugs as lra- *.
pe-ienceG OF -ae Earth. -Eis cloud.
ness also shows a sufficient amount o.
wa-er-vapo- u support vegetation anc
highe- forms Of life or me planet We
nus. As regarding -he possibility Of -e.
ceivIng wireless MESSAGES rum ano-he,
planet. Venus al US nearest app-oact
ID the Earth e 9 Sos coo mics ava
whereas Mars IL a, least al djeaea
from these considerations Il may b:
concluded Thai Il arr planet Is trying
10 cIEuaI GUY Earth Il Is Venus ana
not Mars Z can be definitely proved
that Mars Is unsu1red for n3aIrtainlns
any conceivable form Of life. while -he
conditions prevailing on Venue there
Is every reason 10 believe that plane,
NAV pc populated ny beings fairly SIN.
liar 10 ourselves