The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1921-09-22
MINE SHAFT MAY REVEAL
SECRETS OF THE MARTIAN<

"If there are human beings on
Mars" says Prof. David Todd, of AM
herst, 81 have no doubt that
they have been sending us messages
for years and are still wondering at
our stupidity in not replying"
For years Professor Tood endeav-
ored to communicate with Mars. He
even ascended high above the clouds
in balloon to receive wireless mes
sages from Mars that would solve
the astronomical puzzle. But for
those years his every effort was baf-
fled.
Today, for the first time, his work
faces success. Today he can say, "The
planet will be brought within less
tina none mile and half Of the eye
! c%rcc. 70 find on Mars evidence of
work done by intelligent human be-
ings."
Mine Shaft As Telescope
Several times in the year 1924"
says Professor Todd, "Mars will be
nearer the earth than in any year in
a century. Mars vii. a!sc be at the
zenith during 1924 and may be ad-
mirably seen from a disused mine
shaft found at Chaneral, Chile.
"My idea is to use the mine shaft
as the barrel of a gigantic telescope,
fifty feet in diameter. Telescopes Of
such size have been difficult to con-
struct, owing not merely to cost, but
also to the physical obstacles in the
way of building a mirror sufficiently
large.
eve are doing away entirely with
a mirror and substituting a revolving
plate of mercury fifty feet in diane.
ter. AS the plate revolves the mer-
curry will form and serve the pur-
pose of perfect condensing mirror.
Microscopic photographs taken under
these conditions will yield q magnifi,
cation of 25,O0O,OO times"
For years the question of life in
Mars has puzzled astronomers. Prof
Percival Lowell, and some fellow sci
entists, as Flammarion, OF France
have been staunch in their belief that
Mars is inhabitated. Not long ago the
world was startled by the statement
of Signor Marconi, the wireless wiz
ard, that unusual sounds are from,
time to time received by wireless apa-
ratus ,and that in view of their reach
ing simultaneously stations far apart
they seem to come from a great dis.
tance beyond the earth. Immediately
the question arose: Is Mars signaling
us? No definite answer has yet been
given.
Now the world awaits the work of
Professor Todd and his novel tele
scope.
The telescope will be unusual in
construction. At the bottom of the
long mine shaft will rest a plate of
mercury, almost nineteen hundred
square feet in area. AS the mirror
must be concave in shape to concen-
trate its captured rays at a given
point, the plate will be .revolved. AS
the plate is revolved the liquid mer-
curry, by centrifugal force, will as
sumo a concave surface.
When Mars sails across the top of
the mine shaft, the rays of light
from it will be caught in the gigan-
tic mirror and reflected and concen-
trated at pint some distance up the
shaft. At that point magnifier, ca
pable of enlarging the concentrated
image twenty-five million times, will
yield photographs which will tell the
true story Of this neighbor of ours in
space.
Professor Todd is one of the lead
ing astronomers of the country, and
has been professor of astronomy and
navigation at Amherst since 1881, as
well as director of the Amherst OBJ
servatory. He has headed all i'm
portant United States astronomical
expeditions since 1878, his travels
having carried him to many lands. OF
recent years he has devoted himself
more deeply to solving the mystery Of
Mars.
1t is strange, this quest of ours for
information about Mars. Mars, when
near us, looks simply a bright star.
To one on Mars the earth would look
scarcely brighter. And yet it is this
body, almost the smallest of the plan
cts, but pin point Of light to the
naked eye, that stirs us to our nu-
merous questionings,
A curiosity as old as man has
prompted him to ask If he we're alone
mighty universe, ortsystem of
universes. It is as II some jealousy
were disturbing him. For man has ,.i-
- a =. far -. o -l.L.