Tom CAVE #226

Letters to the Editor

From Tom CAVE in CMO #226

@ . . . . . Thank you for MARS #224 and all those sent me before. I'm sure you received my previous sketches I sent prior. I had to stop observing near the end of May '99. I had open heart surgery to have four artery bypass veins around the heart. . . . For recovery I was kept in the hospital for a bit over one week. While I was recovering at home, I thought early in 1999 I would be reasonably strong in a few more weeks or a month or two. I had a total relapse shortly after - my body began taking on water, so back in the hospital and two weeks of no salt, no regular food with only 3 glasses of water. I have now begun corresponding with various friends.

I sketch planetary datum, as I see the detail, were your observing Mars, prior to apparitions before 1965. Here in the USA most Martian observers believed the Canals were to some extent real. So now we know there are no "Canals" on Mars - we in America for the most 85 years since the so-called "Canals" were discovered had been at best totally illusory. I certainly from the time I just observed Mars until 1965 believed 1935 till 1995 there was perhaps strong evidence for the "Canals". The European school led by Antoniadi and kept alive by Prof Dollfus proved to be extremely correct that there were no "Canals".

I close saying in 2001 I will be hard at once to be accursed and will be observing.

(29 Nov 1999 delivered)

Thomas R CAVE (CA, USA)