The New York herald., 1921-10-02


erature of the subject has been fasci-
mating to professional and to non-profes-
sionel readers alike.
Lowelrs observatory, established IN
1894 at Flagstaff. Ariz., at an altitude
Of 1890 feet above sea level. was
equipped with twenty-four inch tele-
scope. A position more favorable for
good seeing could not have been Sc
lected. The air there possesses q clear
ness rarely found elsewhere. The pet
ter visibility gave to Lowells telescope
greater defining power than is possessed
by the Lick or the Yerkes telescope.
Mars Is the planet next beyond the
earth. At time when both planets are
nearest the sun the distance between rhe
earth and Mars is about 35.0o0.o00
miles.
The diameter of Mars is less than.
half that of the earth; its day IS
twenty-four hours and thirty-seven min
utes long its year 6s7 days. The In
clination of It's axis is 20 degrees bS MIN
utes. It's zones are therefore practi-
cally the same as those Of the earth.
The seasons of the temperate and the
polar regions are roughly twice as long
as those of the earth. They indicate
winters of much lower temperature than
those of the earth and summers mate
rally hotter Definite knowledge Is
lacking. but O consensus OF opinion may
be expressed in the assumption that
Martian seasons are about the same as
those of the high mountain submits
Of the earth
The existence Of an atmosphere on
Mars was for long time matter OF
doubt. Campbelrs observations at LICK
Observatory showed that the atmosphere.
IL It existed, must be very rare, but
SIipher established the fact of an at
mosphere and Pickering determined It's
density to be about one-fourth that OF
the earths atmosphere. But even so
rare an atmosphere is sufficient Tor the
existence Of Clouds and clouds were OBJ
served by Slipher, some Of water vapor,
many Of dust
The famous canals. over which so
much controversy has existed, are
closely related to the melting OF the
ice caps. Concerning these wonderful
features fact and fancy have been So
hopelessly mixed that the popular mind
is In a state of confusion. The facts
put forth by Lowell are beyond dispute
his opinions concerning their artificial
origin and structure are theories and
have been subjects OF much debate.
In 1877 Schiaparelli noted the dart
areas on Mars, which at first he re-
garded as bodies Of water. Later, wher
the planet was in more favorable posi-
ton, he noticed the markings to which
he applied the name "canale.' literaii!
channel, not waterway. The trans
lation of this word as "canal" Is re
sponsible in part for the popular notioI
of an artificial waterway.
Again, when the position Of Mars wa
still more favorable, Schiaparelli an
nounced the discovery Of still othe
canals. Lowelrs interest In the subjec
resulted in the founding of the observa
tory at Flagstaff. The clear air OF tn
locality enabled the observers to locat
and map nearly 500 of these canals, an
inasmuch as many of them appear !
photographs their existence cannot b
questioned.
Imagine two circles side by side eac
representing a hemisphere Of Mars. TIL
top and the bottom Of each are circum
polar regions alternately shrouded
white. Snow and Ice accumulate an
partly disappear first at the one pol
and then at the other. The rest OF tn
areas of the hemispheres varies In colo
from a faint reddish brown to gray.
Scattered over the areas which coir
eide with the tropical and the temporal
: zones Of the earth are dark gray dot
each a pin prick In size. From II
} melting ice caps fine dark lines by hun
dreds extend to the dots. and from eac
: dot half dozen lines, very fne ar
I sharp, radiate to join the dots near b.
: Observers at Flagstaff concur In con
pairing the canals to lines drawn by
' sharp pointed pencil. the finer lin'
being compared to gossamer hlament
e The lines some of them more than OF
g thousand miles in length, are the canal
r and they extend in straight courses.
I The changes in their physical a.
4 pearance are seasonal. With the mol
: ing of an ice cap the canals begin
darken next the edge OF the meltir
n cap. and the darkening progresses stea'
: tly to lower latitudes. Twice durir
8 the Martian year this occurs, first at Oh
e polar region and then at the other.
r The canals nearest the cap OF acc
! mutation are faint those next the mel
e ing cap are strong. Lowell found tn
r more than fifty OF the canals are douh
and that the double lines are within Il
limits of latitude 40 degrees on ea'
side of the equator. Lowell also poin
out the fact that the minute dots CO
nected by the canals strengthen al
a wanes in distinctness with the chang
A Of the seasons.
! The foregoing is brief summary
/, the observations which led Lowell
: believe the canals to be artificial waite
n ways and the increasing strength Of {
: lines to be due to the growth Of veg
tation along their borders. Certain
10 he was justified in holding to the
Is sumption until It could be proved or d
to proved. 1t still remains an assumption
Ia So far as the physiography Of Ms
Is concerned not much positive kno,
edge has been established by obser,
ton. Much that Is reasonable, howev
has beon assumed.
II shrinkage. due to loss OF heat =
SE D-I.a. n.>1~v