Rensselaer Union, Volume 2, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 October 1869 — Telegraphic Communication with the Planets. [ARTICLE]

Telegraphic Communication with the Planets.

Tiie latest and most fantastic Suggestion in llio way of telegraphy is that of a French enthusiast, who, like all inventors ami originators of grand ideas, is now being heartily laughed at in Europe for his pains. The old plan with discoverers was to rack or burn them; the new plait is to cover them with ridicule. Perhaps in this case such punishment is not ill-dc-eerved. Our enthusiast's proposal is, not to lly to the moon, but to communicate with the planets, lie wishes to mount agigantic mirror, capable of being readily moved, and to give Hashing signals to.Jupitor and Venus. His theory is, that, if thesenre repeated regularly at given intervals and In equal numbers of times, the inhabitants of the planets will come to discern them, to understand that they mean something, and to return them. Should they do this, a code of signals could manifestly, without n >uch difficulty, be devised. The proposer V>> this curious scheme points out that even now bright spots are occasionally seen on some ol the planets, and suggests that thej' may possibly be similar signals from tlm inhabitants of those orbs to each other and to us. Tho idea is said to have been discussed before now, and to have boon abandoned; but, however impracticable or absurd, it lias been thought worthy of serious attention by the French Academy of Sciences. J In the North western provinces of British India eight hundred add thirty-two persons were killed last year by scorpion* and snakes and one hundred and ninety, ive wounded.