The thought naturally occurred that the canals might be of artificial
origin, and might indicate the existence of a gigantic system of
irrigation serving to maintain life upon the globe of Mars. The
geometrical perfection of the lines, their straightness, their absolute
parallelism when doubled, their remarkable tendency to radiate from
definite centers, lent strength to the hypothesis of an artificial
origin. But their enormous size, length, and number tended to stagger
belief in the ability of the inhabitants of any world to achieve a work
so stupendous.
After a time a change of view occurred concerning the nature of the
expanses called seas, and Mr. Lowell, following his observations of
1894, developed the theory of the water circulation and irrigation of
Mars in a new form. He and others observed that occasionally canals were
visible cutting straight across some of the greenish, or bluish-gray,
areas that had been regarded as seas. This fact suggested that, instead
of seas, these dark expanses may rather be areas of marshy ground
covered with vegetation which flourishes and dies away according as the
supply of water alternately increases and diminishes, while the reddish
areas known as continents are barren deserts, intersected by canals; and
as the water released by the melting of the polar snows begins to fill
the canals, vegetation springs up along their sides and becomes visible
in the form of long narrow bands.
Pages:
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83