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About The Omaha morning bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 23, 1924)
Signals to Mars * All Idle Chatter. Says Professor Planet May Have Life, But Not Intelligent Beings, Father Rigge Tells Radio Fans. Signaling to Mars is a fit subject for a yellow magazine, but not for men of Intelligence, declared Father William F. Rigge In an address over WOAW Friday night. The astronom er discussed the facte concerning Mars gleaned by scientists. "The fact that the orbit of Mars lies entirely outside the earth’s orbit brings with It the great advantage that Mars always turns Its bright or day side toward us, especially when It is opposite the sun. It Is then nearer to us than any other heavenly body except the moon. "We know that Mars Is a solid ball like the earth, only smaller with a diameter about half that of the earth's. It has days and nights and even seasons like ours, only Its day Is 37 minutes longer and Its year nearly twice as long as ours. "Its surface is said to he more than half desert. It has white polar caps which melt away in the spring and which are now generally admitted to be snow. It has few, if any. moun tains and a rarer atmosphere than earthly persons can live In,” he de clared. , "The astronomical question In which the public generally seems to be most Interested, Is without doubt, the habitability of the planets, es pecinlly that of our nearest neighbor. Mars. This question is sure to come up In the daily press almost every other year at least—whenever this planet comes near the earth. And not without reason, because Mars Is more like the earth than any othdr planet; we know so much more about It; and the champions that are fight ing for and against Its being actually ! Inhabited are among the ablest men that we have. Natural law Universal. "In order to he able to form our own judgment in the case, and Indeed even to have clear Ideas on the point at Issue, we must be thoroughly ac quainted with certain facts, arrd also familiar with the latest discoveries. But before refreshing our memories on these facts, we must agree on the principle that the laws of nature es we know then on earth, are the same all over the universe, al though the conditions and the circumstances in which they may operate, may differ widely from those In which we are accustomed to study them. For this reason It will not do to say that God Is Almighty—that He can create an Infinite number of worlds all differing from one another, and people them with all kinds of possible life. “Nobody of course will question this principle; but it cannot be used as an argument—first because science is concerned to know whether as a fact a planet is really Inhabited, and secondly, If the nature of Ita life dif fers essentially from that on earth,; we cannot apply the facts of our earth to any other heavenly body. So that if we see with our spcctro mope certain lines in the atmosphere of Mars that correspond perfectly with those of water vapor on earth, we could be*no means conclude that there Is water on* Mars. No, we must suppose the laws of nature and of life, at least in their essential features, to he the same all over creation. Mars Like Earth. I I11J4 1)2-111* jMViinoi.u, * * ' , the main farts about Mars. Mars Is a planet like the earth. What does that mean? Astronomers have proved 1 that the sun. on acount of its enormous size, occupies the center of what they call the solar system. This consists of eight large and many I hundred smaller bodies that circulate about It in fixed orbits, together with many comets. We know that Mercury Is the planet nearest the sun, moving about It at an average distance of 36,000.000 of miles and completing Its circuit In about 83 days. "The second planet Is Venus, at a distance of 67.000,000 of miles and a period of 225 of our days. The earth Is the third In the order of distance, about 93,000,000 of miles away from the sun, snd completing Its course In 365 1-4 days. Then comes our planet Mars, 141 millions of miles from the sun, with a period of 6S7 days, or a year and 10 1-2 months of our reckoning. Outside of the orbit of Mars come the hundreds of small planets called asteroids, and outside of them, the large planets, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, the latter's distance from the sun being slmost 300,000,000 of miles and Its period about 164 of our years. , "While the orbits of the planets are practically circle*, they do not, how ever, have the sun In the center. For the earth, the sun Is 1,500,000 miles out of renter, and for Mars a* much as 13,000,000. The consequence Is that while these orblte approech on* another within 35,500,000 miles In one place, they are 61.000,000 mllea apart In the opposite one. While the earth end Mars may therefore be nearest, to gether for the time being, this least distance Is thus seen to vary consid erably. It Is only once In every 15 or 17 years that they come within 35,500,000 miles. The last time this happened was in 1909 and the next time will he In August of this year. At other times the Inequality of their orbits snd their speeds msy put earth end Mars as far as 250,000,000 miles •part. Day Side Seen. "The fact that the orhlt of Mars lies entirely outside the earth's orbit brings with It the greet advantage that Mars always turns Its bright or day side towards us, especially when It is opposite the sun. As It is then nearer to us than any other heavenly body except the moon, and is more over In our night sky, this Is why we can study It so well and know so much about it. We know, for In stance, that Mars Is a solid hall like the earth, Only smaller, with a diame ter about half the earth’e. That It baa day* *nd night* and even seaaons like ours. *nly that Its day Is 37 min tiles longer and It* year nearly twice • * Ion* • * our». ‘ It* *urf*c*, *ocor<iln* to Iy>w*ll, 1* more than half desert. It has white polar cap*, which melt away In the •pi Ing, and which are generally *d Iowa Woman Admits Drowning Her Stepson Because she hated her stepson, Nicholas Maharles, 6, Mrs. Marie Ma haries thrust the boy In the swift current of the Cedar river, accorriing to her confession to police at Water loo, la. Her story was at first doubted. mltted to be snow. It has, however, few, If any, mountains, and an at mosphere rarer than any we could live In. The most Interesting as well as the most disputed, surface fea ture, are its oases and canals. These last are fine, dark, straight, or curved lines all over the globe, and the oases are their points of meet ing, Nobody at all conversant with the matter, now holds these canals to be water courses. "Another much disputed point con cerns the temperature of Mars. In fact, we call this the crucial point be cause the possibility of life depends upon its solution. On earth, the ac tivities of life are confined within very narrow llmita of temperature. While some forms of life can be kept un harmed for indefinite periods at the absolute zero, this life is dormant and practically nonexistent, even with the temi>erature somewhat above the freezing point plants can not grow. "With the thermometer at 212 de grees, the boiling point of water, I doubt if any kind of life whatever can survive, except perhaps some forms of germs. And long before we get to that, even at a few degrees above 100, all activity practically ceases, so that all the major opera tions of life seem to he confined with in the very narrow limits of 60 de grees, between 40 and 100. Karth Temperature Fixed. "As direct measurements of the surface temperature of Mars are im possible. astronomers general! have approached the solution from the theoretical side. The earth, as a whole, la getting neither hotter nor colder—that Is, it loses the sun’s heat as fast as it receives it, because the habitats of plants and animals have not changed within historic times. As Mars is half again as far from the sun as the earth is, it receives about half as much heat per square mile as we do. This would make its average temperature 39 degrees be low zero. With this as an average, how can things grow? And the argu ment Is clinched by the thinness of the Martian Atmosphere, which is less than that* above the eternal snows of our mountain tops. "Pickering, however, warns ns against rash theoretical conclusions, He maintains that actual observation is much more reliable, not of the temperature directly, but of its ef fects. He says that snow is some times seen at sunrise and even in the afternoon on the equator. This might put the temperature of its torid zone between about 40 and 60 degrees In the daytime but drop it below the freezing point at night. It would also raise the average tem perature of the whole planet to about 20 above zero Instead of 39 below. At a certain season for three months at a time, large tracts of Mars turn green, and green is most likely a color of growing vegetation. "Now what are we non professionals to conclude? Certainly this; that be ings like ourselves cannot live on Mars, principally because the air is loo rare, there Is no liquid water, and with a freezing temperature every night, even in the torrid zone, plants that w# need for life, can not grow. No Intellectual IJfe. "There may of course Ire lower forms of both animal and plant life, and this last may he plentiful enough to color a whole continent, but there is surely not that intellectual life on Mars that we have on earth. Sending signals to Mars may be a pleasant dl easy and aa brilliant an Idea aa for the mice to hang a boll on tha cat. “Thirdly, on# of our popular Sel ene# monthlle* ahowa on ita front cover In March a battery of aearch lighta directed to Mara and aendlng word aignala through them, on the method of our broadcaatlng atatlona, which a receiving teleacope on Mara la to catch on a photo-electric cell and reconvert Into eound. Great Idea, aure! Did the profeaaor ever figure on the number of the aearchllghte, the power required to operate them, and the coat? Of courae not, auch men are never practical. "Fourthly, auch day dreamer* do not know the element* of aatronomy. When Mara ia neareat to tie it turn* It* bright or day side towards us so that we cannot then see light slg nals on It. At the same time the dark or night side of the earth faces Mar*, so that our light signals might be seen If the earth wa» not then In line with the *un and lost In Its glare. "When the earth and Mar* separ ate, a small portion of its dark side begin* to face us. hut then the dis tance is increasing rapidly. And the fact that both earth and Mars turn on their axes nearly but not exactly equally fast, make* the problem more Intricate than these visionaries would like to hear. "Fifthly and lastly, there are ton many Items necessary to success to give this any hope whatever. A few of these are that Mara must be habi table, that it la Inhabited, that Its peo ple are Intelligent, have our modern inventions, are expecting us to signal Just when we take a notion to do ho, can and will answer back prompt ly In a way that we can perceive, and dozens other essentlRl prerequis ites. Signaling to Mara is a fit sub ject for a yellow magazine, but not for men of intelligence." 1,000 ODD FELLOWS AT COZAD PICNIC Coznd, Neb., Aug. 2Z.—More than l.nno people attended the fourth an nual picnic of the Dawson county Odd Fellows and Rebekahs at Vasey's grove, six miles east of Cozad. Rev. E. R. King of Ashland, for mer pastor of the Disciple* church of Cozad, delivered the address of the day. E. S. Davis, North Platte, grand secretary of the grand lodge of Ne braska: Mrs. Myrtle Musser, state president of Rebekahs, and A. E. lianna. grand junior warden, were present and delivered addresses. Radium plalded dresses of large green and brown plaid, very large— tight belted effect-^long tailored sleeve finished with narrow brown cuffs with matching collar of boyish type, are worn on Fifth avenue. PUBLIC OWNERSHIP LEAGUE FORMEC Aurora, Neb., Aug. 12.—The PuMli Ownership league of Aurora, recentl; organized to take care of the sllua tlon when the present franchise ot the Nebraska Oas and Electric com pany has expired, has now perfect*** Ita organization and la beginning iti campaign for membership. The officers are: Elner Peterson president; Harry Toof, vice president C. C. Fralzer, secretary-treasurer, ant these officers, together with F. A Thomas, T. M. Scott, J. J. Refshauge J. F. Cole and F. E. Edgerton con stltute the executive committee. version, but seriously to expect to re, celvs signals in return betrays lit tle acquaintance with real facts. And why? First, because we know how many years it took to gradually send nur radio signals to greater distances. In the beginning only from one room to another, and now almost halfway around the earth, 12,000 miles. And shall we at one effort make the Jump from 12,000 to 35,000,000 miles? "Secondly, the only signals that can get through to Mara are light signals. Some people have proposed to build a big triangle of search lights, hundreds of miles to a side, In order to show Mars that we on earth are Intelligent. Will they con tribute liberally to this fun? It Is AUV E.HTIRE.nfiN W, Ants smt W1S MBit Back Weak and Painful. Mrs. Miller Benefited by Taking Lydia E. Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound Rotan. 'lex —"Ism writing to let you know how I have been benefited by taking your medicine. After my second baby was born my back was weak andhurt me continually, so I thought I’d try Lydia E. Pink hum’a Vegetable Compound as I had read so much uliout where it had helped ao many women. 1 had l>een bothered with my back for over a year, and it would hurt me until 1 could not do my work, which is keep ing house for three and cooking and wuHhing dishea. I tell all my friends if they have any kind of female trou bles to give Lydia E. Pinkham’s Veg etable Compound a trial. Youmayuxe this testimonial if it will help any one.”—Mrs. C. R. Mii.ler, K. F.D. No. 1, Box 7h, Rotan, 'lexas. In a recent country-wide canvass of purchasers of Lydia h. Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound over 121,(as) i« plies were received, and t*H out of every 100 reported they were bene fited by Its uae. For sale by druggists everywhere. rd*y Store Hours—9 A. M. to 6 P. M.gg-^wgggggg^ Nebraaka'lLbtoi* BURGESS'NASH GOMPANY. =4 To Omaha and Our Store * EVERYBODY^ STORE* M*,n rioor I Cool, Summery Nightgowns Four Special Groups French Gowns $1.95 Hand-made French gowns of sheer nainsook, linen finish, made with embroidered, scalloped edges and motifs. These gowns will launder beautifully, and every stitch Is hand sewn. Sizes 16 and 17. Porto Rican Gowns $2.25 Hand-made Porto Rican gowns in the pastel shades have hemstitched edges and hand-embroidered flower designs. Sizes 16 and 17. Imported Voile Gowns $2.95 Dainty voile gowns in the lingerie shades and white are made with Jenny or square neck lines. Lace trimmed and embroidered. Fine Nainsook Gowns $1.25 Stcond Floor Special for Saturday Milanese Silk Gloves $1.69 For fall wear these 16-button, heavy quality Milanese silk gloves in colors to match the season’s costumes are very suitable. Five rows of embroid ery stitching add to the attractiveness. All sizes. $2.50 Value. Main Floor Sale of Luggage Luggage to the fore—it’s the usual thing for a con templated trip—extended or short. And with the Labor Day week-end in mind, this timely special offering of traveling bags and hat boxes is particularly interesting. Women’s traveling bags, (C AA black cowhide .*pO«Uv $45.00 cowhide eobra SSf.$31.50 Women’s hat OQ QO boxes.ipO.JJO $30.00 men’s black and brown zz:'™.$17.50 Mala Floar Women’s Union Suits "Colgate” and “Valora” sleeveless union suits of light weight lisle with French band tops, loose and tight knees. White only. Sizes 34 to 38.49<^ Sizes 40 to 50.59(* Second Floor The Silk Scarf Flaunts Its Colors in the Winds of Fashion Exquisitely colored scarfs are these of soft crepe de chine, lovely enough for wear with one’s daintiest frocks. Some are tie-and-dyed, other are plain in color with contrasting O < CQ borders. Priced very reasonably at.9 * Main Floor Fall Fashions in Frocks In accordance with Paris predictions that— Failles, Bengaline* and Ribbed Silks are the very essence of smartness—we are showing a collection of clever models fashioned of these silks. But tons are th# favorite tailored trimming. Tunica of all Idnds are in evidence and many models are rich In fur trimmings of beaver, muskrat and mink. Other silks are Patio Crepe Satin. Brocade, Chiffon Vel vet, Satin Face Crepe, Crepe Elizabeth, and Satin and Georgette Combinations. Trig street frocks of the sort you will see worn all season, wherever smart women gather, are the wool frocks, superbly tailored, beautifully finished. The new Stripe fabrics—Reviera Barr, Loreline and Rayoliae—are decidedly new and tend to give a slimness of line. Other materials in favor are Twill Bloom. Charmeen, Patou Crepe. Lustrella. Third Floor Our Entire Stock of Wool Bathing Suits Emphatically Reduced $3.95 to $4.95 values. . . .$3.69 $5.95 to $6.95 values_$4.89 $6.95 to $8.95 values. . . .$6.89 $8.85 to $17.95 values. ..$8.89 Third Floor bale of Women s bilk Hose Odd lots and discontinued lines. Every pair first quality. Our best makes are included—“Granite,” “Lehigh,” “Propper,” “M* jud,” “Holyoke, “Themis,” “Merit* and “Kayser.” $2.35 All silk chiffon or regular weights. Also white hose with fancy embroidered clox of contrasting colors. In light fawn, medium gray, silver, pole gray, gunmetal, black, African brown, nude, new tan, log cabin, gold, noisette, cinnamon, beige, banana, Oriental ' pearl. $3.50 to $4.50 values. $1.68 Sheer chiffon or regular weight, some all silk, others with lisle tops. Full fashioned. In white, black, log cabin, African brown, silver, navy, dawn, poudre blue, medium blue, Yu Chi, French beaver, tan bark. $1.95 to $3.00 values. $2.95 All silk from top to toe, some plain, others with fancy lace or embroidered clox, in plain or contrasting colors. In white, black, cordovan and silver: $4.50 to $7.50 values. Main Floor $2.45 Silks, Yard $1.39 I Included are Arab prints, striped tub silk, printed pongee, sport satin, knitted silks. Not all color*. $1.95 Silks, Yard 95C Included are tubular vestings, wash satin, knitted crepe, colored messaline, colored taffeta. Not all COlorS included._Vend Floor_ Boysy Wash Suits Greatly Reduced j $1 39 Oliver Twist, middy and Balkan style suits in all the wanted colors, comprise this group. All are well made and will withstand hard wear. Sizes Sizes 2 to 8. In this group also are broken lota of our better grade wash suits. These are suitable for dress as well as for school wear. Sizes 2 to 8. Third Floor Childrens “Columbine” Union Suits Sleeveless suits of fine light weight lisle, with French band tops, cuff or bloomer knees and drop CQ seats. Sizes 2 to 12. 85c values.0*7C Second Floor All Our Women’s Bathing Caps Handkerchiefs 1/4 Price • Painty white and colored Our entire stock of bathing linen handkerchiefs with hand caps, every conceivable style blocked print borders. Some and color, is included in this are finished with and 1-ineh H price sale. These have sold hems, others with footing and regularly from 25e to $1.50. hand-embroidered corners. Main Floor Main Floor I Kiddies’ Sox 19c 2 pair* for 35<£ Our entire itock of kid dies’ half sox with values to 35c and 40c are included in this lot. Of fine lisle or glos silk In beige, camel* hair, deer, rose, white, cham pagne, blue, pink, butter cup, lavender, with plain cuff tops. Also white with cuff tops of contrasting colors. Sizes 6 to 7V4. Main Floor Toilet Goods 00e Sempray Jovenay. . . . 304* 25e Qui Sait Talcum Powder for .154* $1.00 Glacier Clay Pack, 49r fiOc Smooth Hair .354* 75c Fitch’s Shampoo... .494* 25c Nail Polish, cake or paste, for . 54* $1.00 Holman's Toilet Water for. 694* Coty’s L’Origan Extract, oz.92.39 10c Life Buoy Soap, fl for 394* 35c cake Vivadou Imported Bath Soap .'154* $1.00 Bath Brushes.494* 50c English Wire-Drawn Pure Bristle Tooth Brushes, 294* $2.00 Hughes' Ideal Hair Brushes. 91.29 $2.00 Ebony and Turtle Ebony Bark Hair Brushes with 11 rows of pur* 1 price bristles .2 35c Tooth Brushes, all styles, for . 1»4* Main Floar < Hats for \ Every Occasion Wear Depicting The New Fall Styles Specially Priced Smart Hats for Miss and Matron On Sale Saturday _Style, quality and value Smart hows, larpe fan | are combined in this coilac- effects of dik Tndno^elty tion of smart millinery. , ... . .. . - .. -- pins give the note of dis Charming, dignified mod- ~-“-; —— : —-—;—-— - tinction that is seldom els. developed of velvet and -- combinations ofTeYvet with found^jnjmerchandise so I ,<lk *nd taffeta. I_I economically priced. Third rW Sale of ! House - furnishings 88c Dozen Quart Fruit .Tar* 6 Aluminum Cups Serving Trays Garbage Tail Earthenware Casserole Mirrors O’Cedar Floor Wax Refrigerator Tan Colored Glassware 24 Jelly Glasses Eight Cut Glassware Lunch Kits 12 Rolls Toilet Taper Glass Jug 4-piece Canister Set Flour Can 3-piece Cutlery Set Wash Tub 4 Mixing Bowls Enamelware Aluminum Ware Fout tk Fleet