The New York herald., 1878-02-27
OBITUARY..
FATHER p1rrno ANGELO snccu1.

FATHER PIETIo ANGELO sEcCHL
This dintpgushed Italian priest or the Society OF
Jesus, whose fame as astronomer. mathematician
and physicist is worldwide, died at Rome yesterday
aitor lingering illness. Father sccahi born
Regio Emilla on the Goth OF July, 1918. became
a Jesuit on November 3, 1888 and through hm
studies In mathematics under Father de vco From
s4I 10 ls43 Father Sccch taught physics In tho Col
lcee OF Loreto. aud lSit commenced his course Of
theology the Roman College, now the Lycco vitlors
Emanueie pleting It at Georgetown College, Wash
ington D. c.. in 1sls-9. There also be taught phys,ci
and mathematics until the autumn OF 1850. when h,
was recalled 10 Rome On his return to the Eterna
City Father secohi appointed Director O
the Observatory OF the Roman College. and be-
came corresponding mombsr Of tho Institut
dc France He reconstructed his department
a plan and site, and invented very complete
system OF meteorological observation, the results Of
which he published In monthly bulletin which was
continued until 1873 Tho mcteorograph which he
constructed WAS much admired at the Paris Expos
lon In 1867. His mathematical skill was universally
acK Knowiedged. and Pope Plus TX commissioned him
10 complete the tsigonomerical survey Of the Papa
States which had been commenced by Doscovch II
l75l. Under this mission ne was also directed IA
rectify the measurements made OF an arc Of the no
rldian Bis engineering ability was Of q high
order, and under another commission ho wai
successful In bringing supply Of wafer 70
e,uns sUni' m.s. The scientific osriodicals OF ali
the European nations have chroniced the rcsuis Of
HIS aUors In astronomical research, which he under
1850 His greatest successes were attaued
IN speclroscopic analysis and III solar aud stellar
physics. lie cassed among the chief authorities on
subject OF has succeeded IN preparing
marvellous Photographic maps Of the surfaces Of SONS
OF the larger planets. In the invest stgaon OF solar
The knowledge recently obalnea as TO the phy sica
constitution OF the sun, tho colored protuocrancss
observed on It's disk ana tue corona wnicn surrounds
Father Seccbi's ations OF solar spots have
also attracted notice on account the ceaI
and Instructive papers when have from time TO tiine
accompanied them. He found from U long continued
series Of observations The diameters OF tue sun
tnal there arc variations OF three, our and I've
seconds and that tho periods OF greatest damessf
correspond to the epochs OF the smallest number Of
protuberances and spots. In this vcw, however,
ova Observatory. Tue docsiins Of a masns..o srn
was orig mated by r Kirrher IN 164O when was
professor IN the Roman College. Father Secchi re-
vved and the same idea AMI connected tns
appearance OF Polar aur0rAs With that Of great solar
His greatest work ID 'Le Soleil; expos6 des princ
pales decouvsrtss modernes sur la structure de cct
stre, influence o. scs relations avec les autrca
NOR has embodied the observations oi lifetime, be.
SIDES the latest Of modern astronomy The
SUM- sun spots, tho solar atmosphere, the theory Of
eclipses and the solar protuberpnccs.
He had one OF the nnest collections Of astronomi-
cal Instrument tho world and wus very accurate
his observations. He was never satisfied with the
obscl vat,ons oil Others, but always repeated them
over himself Tho charge was laid TO him on this ne.
count that he was trying 10 arrogate 10 himself the
discoveries OF Others but he replies In the preface Of
his work the sun, that he repeated the observe
tions oil others merely 10 understand them better
himself, not TO claim them as bis own.
Padre Sacchi was OF middlng stature, broad
and stout, somewhat Napoleonic In appearance He
had keen black eyes, through which the fire Of senius
always shonc His finely formed mouth and promi-
mont nose bore the Impress Of genius and made up
face w&ich was not easy 10 forget. His carriage
was very erect and he used to take long, elastic stepa
In walking In his habits no was veiy meth0oica,
having certain hours tor reading. writing, eating,
see ing and exercise. At his meals he would eat
certain definite quantity and no more Every ater.
noon he would take walk lasting just one hour and
halt
In the revolution Of ls4s ho was driven from Rome
and TOOK refuge in England. He returned when
order restored, and has since that time devoteo
himself chiefly his favorite science. While IN Eng
land he learned to speak The language nuently.
A young student lately returned from Rome relates
that he, IN company with several other Americans.
called on Father Secch to see his Instruments and
Gu pdea vored to get him to converse with them
English. ''No," replied the Father; "when was in
England thoy made mo talk Enghsn; now yop are
here YOU mi speak Italian"
When Rome was taken by Victor Emmanuels
troops the Jesuits driven out, but exception
he was allowed TO remain and teach as usual But
the Italian government was very Jealous Of ITS pro.
mors was called to st at Par,s and the French gov.
erpment invited Fatnor Secch TO attend without nav.
ing first consulted the Italian authorities Father
Secchi desired TO 60, but the government re-
fused 10 allow him. He was looked upon BY tho
Italian people as q monument OF great.
ness, Formerly the religious orders used
to receive government aid, but under the new regime
this limited to the members composing the dif
ferent orders that they die on the pension list
decreases, until II will be hnaily wiped out Bot with
regard to tho Order OF Jesuts the pension was
taken from them all at once. An exception was again
made IN favor OF Father Secch who was granted an
annuity OF 15 600 francs ($3 000 year, with rooms
food, clothing and u rstnue Of servants gratis. In
1875 he to Sicily by the Italian government
on q scientific expedition.
Among his important publication: are:-"Re.
searches Electrical Rheometry," originally In the
''smthsonlan Contributions to knowledge" George
town, 1852; "Quadro Fisco dol sistsma Solare So
condo le piu Reconti OssorvazonI" (kome. 1867:
..Cataogo dslie sells (Paiis, ls87; .5ugli Spsstr
Prsmatisl dellc stee Fsse', Rome, 1868; "Le Re-
cent? Scoperle Astronomiche' Qy6S; "Nove Riccrche
sue Protubsranze Solar" us6sl ''sur plnfuencs de
pAtmospherc les Raes du Spectre ct sur 10 Con-
stituton du Soeip' (ls69); Fisica Soare: Suls vi.
time Scoperte Spettroscopichs Fate mol Sole lS69j
ssSpectrum Observations on the Rotation OF the Sun"
(I4ondon, 1S70); lie Solei: Expose des Prncipales
Decouveres Modcrnes sur Ia Structure de cetts Astrs
Son Influence et Relations avec los autres Corps
Ceiestcs paris 1905 and 'Dslr unita dcllo Forss
Fisiche" (Rome, 1879.