The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1923-10-20
TRIP TO MOON
BY ATOM FORCE
Mars and Venus Might Also Be
Visited Through Discharge
of Radio-Activity.


by which the moon, as well as Mars
and Venues. might be visited, is through
the discharge on large scale o.
radio activity, and through the sOlu
ton of the problem Of the disintegra
ton of matter into helium or hydro
gen atoms. This is the belief of DR.
Herbert Chatley.
May Be Life on the Moon.
In a lecture before the Quest so
ciety here, recently, Doctor Chatley
said that the presence of life on the
moon would be matter of surprising
Importance, but as yet there is nc
very good evidence in its favor, and II
seems almost inconceivable. There
can be little or no water there, since
no clouds are visible. There 10 also
little or no air. Add to these facts
the conditions that the days are u
times as long as ours and that the tenn
perature at lunar midday is greater
than that Of boiling water and at
lunar midnight lower than that Of the
| terrestrial poles and it will be under
stood that the circumstances are by
no means propitious for life as we
know it, he explains.
| Can there then be life in some other
| form? Chemists are inclined to think
| that the very complex combinations
| which form the basis OF our substance
are unique, SO that while it is con-
ceivable that latent life may exist in
frozen state, active life is only pos
sible between the freezing and boiling
points of water.
Having discussed the question
whether the moon was once part Of
the earth, as well as the influence
of the moon upon the earth, Doctor
Chatley continued:
Jules Verne Had Idea.
Speculative persons, mostly ro-
mancers, have invented various meth
DDS by which they conceive the moon
might be reached. Balloons or air.
planes are out of the question since
the earth's atmosphere thins out to
practically nothing about 100 miles up.
Without that there is nothing to sup
port them.
Jules Verne imagined an enormous
gun, with shell as the lunar express
(return passage not guaranteedD. By
the use Of a very long gun and a
charge more than Is times as heavy
as the shell, the necessary velocity
(neariy ten miles per second) might
perhaps be attained but the acceler- |
alton would have the unfortunate eff |
feet of squashing the passengers to |
pulp just after they started which |
might impair their enjoyment Of the |
trip.
Wells Pictured Lunar Car.
III. G. Wells imagined a material |
called "cavorite" which was impervi-
Gus to gravitation so that if it We're
placed under anything it would fly |
off under the influence of the attract
ing bodies on the upper side. His
lunar car was a spherical box which
had removable windows of cavorite
50 that attraction in any desired dlrec-
ion could be used
UNFORTUNATELY this idea, quite apart
from the unfortunate fact that no
such substance is known, is mechani-
ally irreconcilable with a mechanical
principle which may be popularity
ermed the impossibility Of perpetual
notion If cavorite shutters were
opened and shut at intervals of time
he car would go up and down per-
,etually without any work being done.
this indicates a very re-
narkable fact, that gravitation is in
associated with a continu-
us outpouring of energy.
Goddard Would Use Rocket.
&c. W. Grifiith's provided his honey
nooners in space with an anti-gravi-
ational force This has actually been
ypothecated by some physicists, but |
here is no evidence of its existence.
IAN American named Goddard has
eyiSed large rocket which he
bought would do the trick, but CAL
ulation shows that the most ener-
etc explosives will not suffice to
airy the rocket very far. unless the
barge enormously exceeds the weight ,
{ the vehicle, and In any case the =
ick back velocity of the explosive y
asses is too small.
1.-THE only conceivable means is by
le discharge of radio-activity on a
rye scala and the solution of the y
-oblem OF the disintegration of mat
r into helium or hydrogen atoms, {
hich would actually provide a means
visiting not only the moon but also
ars and Venus.
This question is bound up with .
at Of the origin of the moon and 4
ere are various hypothesis. The 4
eteoritic theory regards them as the Y
lies OF a terrific bombardment. 9th 3
5 again hold that these enormous 4
1gs are due TO the bursting OF =
odigious gas bubbles. while q mi l
rity hold to the old idea of volcanic .
ton"
Widow Gets Husband /: :