Do you believe that the scientists observing Mars will find any new facts which might prove or disprove
the theory that the planet ts inhabited by beings similar to the inhabitants of the earth?
ANSWERS
Continue reading “Asked at Random, 1924”Category: Weird News
Weird People, If Any, Live On Mars
BY J.E. POOLE (by Cable is The Province)
LONDON, Oct. 27. —Unusual interest and widespread preparations are being made In Britain to watch and listen to the planet Mars at midnight on Wednesday. Dr. Stevenson, director of the Mars section of the British Astronomical Association, says he has already observed great changes in the face of the planet, large regions being much darker In coloring than in 1924 while other regions have changed their shape completely, notably In the case of the “Lake of the Sun,” which is completely altered In form. Abbe Moreaux, director of the Bourges Observatory, says that Mars is colder than Siberia.
All over England specially constructed powerful wireless and broadcasting sets will be utilized in an effort to catch any possible signals transmitted by Martians.
By JOHN BOETTEIEGER
YERKES OBSERVATORY. Williams Bay, Wis., Oct. 27.—Mars, within 42-500,000 miles of earth and shining in majestic brilliance through a firmament coming nearer in modern times to approaching the ideal of the astronomers, still holds fast its secret of the ages.
There may living Martians; there probably are none. That rather turns up the situation right after the eminent star-gazers at the observatory here have spent hours gazing at the tantalizing fiery war planet. But if there are humans on Mars, and Prof. Edin B Frost gives a genial, skeptical chuckle as he discusses it, then they are truly weird creature. for the observations have shown Prof. Frost, who is in charge of the work here for the University of Chicago, that certain phases of life on the planet would he most unpleasant.
The professor grants that the present days are the best given since the days of the first telescope for a study of Mars since the planet has come relatively near to earth. It came closer two years ago, bust appeared tower in the heavens and the hazy mists over the celestial equator intervened. As to the physical makeup of the distinctly theoretical Martian, based on last night’s and previous observations, made, here and elsewhere. he is thin sort of creature, Prof. Frost suggests:
MUST BE MIGRATORY.
He must migrate between his north and south hemisphere with the seasons, for undoubtedly the temperatures of all parts of the planet at certain times of the year are far too low to sustain higher forms of life.
“He must have a hide that will protect him from an extremely low temperature and be able to shed it daily when the sun is high, for between night and day there in probable variation in temperature of some 150 degrees Fahrenheit.
“He would perforce breathe most rapidly, for the oxygen on Mars, our observations indicate, is thirty times more rare than on the topmost peak of Mount Everest.
“And it Is certain that his baths must be most infrequent for the amount of aqueous vapor over Mars is far less than over Mount Wilson, 6000 feet above the desert.
Continue reading “Weird People, If Any, Live On Mars”READY FOR THE MARTIANS
But He Doesn’t Have to Fire a Shot
Grover Mill, N. J., Nov, 1. (AP Wirephoto) When the countryside was thrown into turmoil by a radio broadcast of a “horror tale” depicting an “invasion” from Mars Sunday evening, William Deck, 76, loaded his shotgun and stood his ground.
According to the broadcast, the mythical Martians landed near here and launched their attack. Deck held his position without firing a shot.
Dwarf King Kong
Dwarf ‘King Kong’ Charged In $3000 Extortion In K. C.
By The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Jan. 22. – Herbert Hayes, who federal bureau of investigation agents say, signed an extortion note “King Kong”, although he is only five feet, three inches tall and weighs but 105 pounds, was indicted this afternoon by a federal grand Jury.
Arrested this morning, Hayes was formally Charged by the grand jury this afternoon with using the mails in an attempt to extort $3000 from Alfred R. Wallace, department store official.
W. A. Smith, special agent in charge of the F. B. I. office here, says Hayes, a former Missouri state penitentiary convict, signed a statement admitting he wrote the note. He was found yesterday in the reading room of the public library by federal officers acted on a telephone call from an unidentified informer.
Bigger, Better Cuss Words…
Chicago. Dec. 22 (AP) Bigger and better cuss words have been suggested by Dr. Burges Johnson, professor of English at Syracuse university, as one of the things this country needs. He told the executive club about it yesterday.
Profanity that was horrifying a few decades back Is now ridiculous in its innocuousness. Dr. Johnson said. Some of the stronger cuss words have been corrupted until now they lack all their original power and significance.
“Gramercy” “Gadzooks” and “Zounds” are some of the corruptions of what once was powerful profanity, he said. Even the words that remain have lost their full power through over-usage, and there have come into the language no new swear words to replace them.
Martian Chamber of Commerce Bulletin.
According to the description, an honest Chamber of Commerce bulletin from Mars would have to read:
“Settle on Mars, one of the first heavenly bodies to cool off after creation. We have practically no water, practically no oxygen in our atmosphere. The oxygen has gone to the rocks, and much of our country is covered with fine red dust, caused by the oxidation of our iron deposits.
“The dust doesn’t stay put, however, because we have winds of gale force almost all of the time, cause by the rapid changes in our temperature – up to 80 degrees at noontime and down to 100 degrees below zero at night.
“We have no twilight, and no dawn. Our daytime sky is no brighter than twilight on Earth, but there’s every chance of romance here. We have two nice moons, one which remains 132 hours above the horizon. Our nearer moon, Phobos, is as close to us as New York to Los Angeles on Earth. And, if you like eclipses, they are a dime a dozen up here. We have as many as 1,000 of them each year.
“Come, spend a year with us, You’ll have plenty of time to look around, because our year is 687 days. And girls – if you happen to weigh around 200 pounds, you’ll find life can be beautiful on Mars, because here, you’ll weight less than eighty.”
(excerpt from the The Courier-Journal, Louisville, Kentucky • Sun, Jul 23, 1939)
Sleuths drop Dick Tracy
SACRAMENTO (UPI) —State crime sleuths today folded up their comic pages and gave up hope of finding clues to the riddle of San Francisco’s Zodiac killer in the Dick Tracy cartoon series.
Agents of the State Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation began checking two months worth of Tracy comics on the theory they might find some parallels between the San Francisco killer of five persons and the “Scorpio” leader of the “Zodiac Gang ” being hunted down by Tracy.
“We gave the whole thing up,” Earl Bauer, senior analyst in the crime laboratory, said today. “We didn’t find any-thing that tied it up at all. We gave it up.”
“They’re just in two different worlds,” Bauer said of the real and fictitious Zodiacs.
He said the killer began using the Zodiac symbol before it appeared in the comic strip. Aug 17.
Zodiac, who has bragged of his crimes in cryptic notes to police and newspapers, shot a young couple to death in a lovers lane near Vallejo last Dec. 20, killed another girl and wounded her companion near Vallejo July 5, stabbed Hartnell and killed his coed companion Sept. 27, and shot a San Francisco cab driver to death Oct. 11.
Martians Smoke and Chew Says British Telepathist
Groundhog Quits!
Fake Robbery
PAYS BOY $1000 TO STAGE $50,000 FAKE GEM ROBBERY, CHARGE
by United Press
LONG BRANCH, N.J., Feb. 22. – Mrs. Sarah L. Robertson, who last Saturday night reported to the police that a dinner party at her bungalow had been held up and jewels valued at $50,000 taken from her, was arrested today, charged with conspiracy in causing the holdup.
A few hours earlier the robbery had been branded as a “fake” by a youth named John Baily who told the police he had been hires by Mrs/ Robertson to enter the bungalow and pretend to steal the jewels. In reality, he said, he got nothing but a bag filled with tissue paper. He said Mrs. Robertson paid him $1000 to stage the holdup.