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Show PROPOSED SIGNAL TO MARS. Professor Wood of Johns Hopkins Declines Unique Job. Baltimore. April 29. The fame of Professor Robert W. Wood, the well known phisicist of the Johns Hopkins universtiy- teems to. have spread to Texas, "judging" from the number of telegrams which he has received from Stamford, in western Texas, asking him to assume charge of an observatory observa-tory in those regions, the object of which is to signal the people of the planet Mars. Incidentally Dr. Wood suggested a plan to reach the planet Mars. Dr. Wood is at a loss to account for the reason of this steady (low of telegrams tele-grams from that quarter. As far as he can ascertain, he says, some one in that section of the country seems to have been preatly struck with a remark re-mark humorously made by Professor Pickering of the Harvard university the ftther day to the effect that with a large mirror several miles long, which would Cost about $10,000,000. it would bo possible for the inhabitants of the eartn to signal their brethren on AJars. The Texan, says Dr. Wood, must have discovered that he has been conducting con-ducting a series of experiments with a mercurious mirror, and suggested to his fellow-citizens that Professor Wood construct an observatory at Stamford, for which the residents were to pledge $50,000. Speaking of the matter, Professor Wood said last night: "As to the project of attracting the attention of the Martians to the fact that there are rational beings on the earth, it seems to me that if there arc-any arc-any who ias-ist upon making us conspicuous con-spicuous in this way it would be belter bel-ter to devise some simpler way than the construction of a mirror several miles in diameter. A large -black spot upon the white alkali plans could be constructed at much less expense, and would be as easily perceived by tho Martians if they exist and have telescopes tel-escopes as powerful as ours. It would be as easy to 'wink' signals with the black spo: as with a mirror of equal size, probably easier. "The spot could be made in small sections of black cloth arranged to ro'l up on long cylinders, exposing ' the white ground underneath, the cylinders cylin-ders being operated simultaneously by elactric motors. I am unable to sav how much four square miles of cloth would cost. Tou will have to consult the dry goods houses or the people who write arithmet'e. "We should probably get no answer, for the Martians are supposedly older and wiser than we are. "I have never, and am not now giving giv-ing any attention at all to the problem of signaling to Mars. My reply to repeated re-peated telegrams from Fort Worth. Tex., asking if I would consider the auestion of building a large mercury mirror in western Texas, if funds were provided," 'was as foltows:" ' '. "' 'F.vneriments with a small twenty- inch fnerctiry mirror are still in progress. pro-gress. It would be a great mistake to consider the construction of a larger 1 instrument until the smaller one is perfected. Tank -you for your offer of assistance, which is appreciated.' j "Nothing was mentioned in any of j the telegrams about possible commu-I commu-I nie'at'on with Mars.- andt I was much I surprised to. head- thai' dispatch had j been sent out saying that'-I had decld-! decld-! ed to carry out their plans of attempt-' attempt-' ing to establish communication with I another planet. "I have never for a moment believed that the.Snerc.ury: telescope, would play nnv spectacular ' part In" the science of ast-onomy. The experiments were taktn up during the summer months to ascertain whether the mechanical difficulties could be overcome, and turned .but so much better than I had any reason to expect that I have been thinking over the advisability of perhaps per-haps some day constructing a larger instrument, possibly six or eight fe-Jt j in diameter." |