South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-10-16
NOtre Dame Astronomer Does
Not Believe Mars Inhabited

most universal interest created By
recent experiments by William. Mar
ooni IN his effort &c establish wire
less communication with Mars. and
the more recently announced plans
OF Ben Ali Macfee. an American
scientist. for taking photograph s Of
the mysterious planet by using a
mine shaft as the barrels OF a mann
moth telescope 10 determine II life
EXISTS there. there brings 20 the fore
ground OF local attention, the Metre
Dame university observatory and
the man whose business 70 is to make
a daily study OF the stars
The little building that stands
close 10 the right Of the main en-
trance 20 the university campus and
wost Of Cartier athletic field. houses
a telescope with an objective lens six
inches In the clear. The building.
with its painted spherical tur-
ret. which revolves by clock work in
an opposite direction 20 the move
ment OF the earth upon It's axis 10
permit a constant focus. IL OF no
particular significance. It IS Of suf-
hcient size. commensurate with the
size OF the telescope which Is set up
within.
Given TT. Sorin by Napoleon
But the scope IS Of certain hlstor-
Zeal interest and IS priced not only
for It's cost TO duplicate. but for the
circumstances surrounding it's COM
ing into possession Of the university.
The instrument was a present from
Napoleon III OF France. who was a
great friend OF the late FIR. Sorin.
former president Of the university.
The telescope at Notre Danae
magnifes an astral body up 10 400
diameters. For good definition, tho
instrument IS focused for lower
magniication, from 400 down 70 Is
diameters. For the best results 20
view Mars. the telescope is adjusted
10 a range approximately between
tho two extremes.
In charge OF astronomy at NOtre
Dame is Fr. Fmlel De Wulf
native Of South Bend born in
Main 81 house fn 1852. Some in
terestinR information concerning the
science which he has made his life's
study was gained from him. and
particularly his own views concern
ing the theory OF existence Of life on
Mars.
Contrary 10 a popular acceptance
and almost universal belief In this
theory-existence OF life upon the
earth's sister planet, which like our
own world revolves in an orbit
around our sun-there are found
among most astronomers a convic-
ton that certain conditions I'm which
preclude the possibility Of life exist
ing there.
There ara among these learned
men, scientists who make the study
OF the planets and stars their chief
work, who declare their disbelief Of
the presence on Mars Of either vege-
table or animal life, and who criti-
CHE those people who conjecture the
supermRn as living on Mars.-a be-
ing OF superior intellect TO our hui
mans here,-as nothing more than
fiction-"mere illusions Of theorists"
There are others, however, who
considering the existence OF human
life as entirely improbable, refuse to
commit themselves as opposed to
the theory that Mars Is an empty
void, our moon. but hold TO the con-
victiOn that there IS evidence Of
plant life and vegetation upon the
equatorial belt Of the planet. And on
this assumptions there would follow
they say. that some Of the lower
forms OF animal life probably OF
cold-blooded species, might thrive
abundantly on certain sections Of
our neighboring world.
Others Believe Mars Inhabited.
These two viewpoints. each sub
stantiated by certain comparisons of
causes and conditions mathematiC-
ally calculated, are more or less in
direct contrast 20 the view held by
third group Of scientists, among
whom Marc0ni and MacFee are
probably the most prominent be
cause Of their recent efforts nj in
vention and discovery TO prove the
existence OF the tabled Marian.
Among these are men who are frank
in testityinE TO their belief that
Mars. farther from the sun and
smaller i'm size than the earth, has
population OF men OF an older civ
ilization than on our sphere. and
therefore many centuries ahead Of
US i'm science and invention They as
sort that, no one knowing TO the
contrary. Mars is peopled with a
population who are several laps
ahead of us in development and if
Communication could be established
between our earth and the Martians.
we would be the benehciaries of new
wonders such as would take our
civilization several hundreds of years
ahead Of what 10 Is today
Nacfcc's Telescope New Wonder.
Last Sundays issue of The News
Times carried in connection with an
|. article on the mysteries of Mars. an
Interview furnished the Interna-
tioual News Service by Prof. Macfee.
It recite3 at length his proposed ez-
pcrimcuts and plans for n gigantic
telescope which if found pr8ctic-
able. would theoretically bring the
surface Of Mars within a mile and a
half Of the earth. Mars will be the
nearest 20 the earth for many years
Ga 1924 and over the selected mine
SHAFT IN northcrn Chile IN
South America for more than three
months. During this time. Prof,
Nacfee proposes 20 take more than
thousand photographs and either
substaniate or disprove forever the
theory OF the existence Of ilhabi-
tants on the neIEhboring planet.
Prof. AIaCfee r. u IN RS himself
among those who believe that life
exists there
To Signcr Marconi the famous in
ventor OF wireless Biography how
sver IS credited the most remarkable