New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-22

meeting OF the board OF trustees Of the Museum
yesterday when J. Pierpont Morgan. the first vice
president his friend for years was to be elected to
succeed as president the late Frederick W
Rhinelander
General di Cesnola was born in Rivarolo Cana
Yese Northern Italy, on June %. 1892. He was an
Italian nobleman by birth. graduate Of the Royal
Academy Of Turin, soldier Of the italian RevoIu-
ton OF 1S4S and OF the Crimean and Civil wars
The Palma family is one OF the oldest of Pied
mont AS early the eleventh century one
Giacorno Palma was Lord Of Riverossa, and later
other members Of IT were made counts Of Borgo-
franco and counts Of Cesnola- General di CesnoIa
was the rightful Count of CesnoIa until he re-
nounced his title and became an American citizen
in 1866 He was educated first in his native city Of
FavaroIo Canayese: afterwa-d in 1S43 he entered
the seminary at Urea, where he remained TIL
1S4& When he completed his course Of study he
entered the Sandman army. and fought a vol
unteer in the war against Austria, 1S48-49. On the
battlefield OF Novara he was promoted a second
Lieutenant for bravery in the Queens Regiment.
After the war against Austria he to the
Royal Military Academy of Cherasco, from which
he was graduated first lieutenant two years later.
CAME TO AMERICA IN 1880
He voluntarily resigned from the Sandman army,
and at the end OF 1860 TO America in search
Of adventure and fortune. When the Civil War
broke out he established a military school, where
artillery, cavalry and infantry tactics were sue
cessfuly taught to more than seven hundred young
officers Of volunteers IN October 1861 he accepted
the rank Of major IN the 18th New-York Cavalry
Regiment and two months later was promoted
lieutenant colonel OF the regiment In September.
1852, he promoted colonel OF the 4th New-YOrk
Cavalry Regiment At the battle of Aide he was
badly wounded and was captured. He was shut up
for nine months in Libby Prison. At the end of the
he brevetted brigadier general and thirty
four years later Congress awarded him medal OF
honor for heroic action the battlefield at Aide.
II 1868 President Lincoln appointed him United
States Consul at Cyprus, where he remained for
twelve years While there he made such i'm
portant archaeological discoveries that Sir Austin
Layard, OF Niueveh fame and Sir Charles Newton,
OF the British Museum, declared tE print they
added q chapter TO the history Of art and
archaeology, and revolutlOnized all the extant
theories about ancient art"
He had hardly settled in the consulate q: Lar
nnca when he was impressed By tina thought that
Cyprus was the great central meeting point OF the
ancient races. He soon found Larnaca (ths site of
ancient Cltiu1n) 10 be what its mama sisnides-the
place Of the tonbs''-and in the winter OF 5-66
he opened several hundred tombs and carried o.
excavations at the Salines the ancient port Lar
naca the Salines were rich in terra Gotta vases
and statuertes.
Il! 1855 ne visited the supposed sites OF GoIgos
and IdaIlum identified the latter. and began the
work Of taking treasures from eight thousand
tornba, which continued at favorable seasons for
three years These treasures coins, glass,
statues inscriptions bass reliefs. 5ronzes jeweIry,
statuary terra Gotta vases and pottery. Here were
found the first known works Of Phoenlcian art
fine collection Of Greek glass and some OF the most
interesting vases the modern world has yet seen
General ii Cesnol2 verified and surveyed sites
Of Paphos Soil. OrrniClar Poll and Anlachunte, al
ter which the trustees Of the Metropolitan Museum
OF Art opened negotiations with him for the OBJ
1scs he had obtained. Before 1872 had expired the
sale was effected. and the collection was brought
IN Nevv-York and placed exhibition at the
,77,se1,rn 1t is known there as the d Cesnola
Collection Of Cypriote Antiquities
General di CesnoIa agreed to make further
searches for the museum, which he continued to
do. Notwithstanding he hampered by the hos
tii1v Of Turkish officials. He found other OBJ
is.cts and presented them TO the museum
addition 10 his collection
After the United States Consulate 10 Cyprus was
abolished. General di Cesnola occupied himself
Ancient Cities. Toulns and Temples, published in
ferred upon MIN the degree of LII D, while he was
OF Science OF Turin and OF many similar 1oales
Victor Emmanuel King OF dLay ana and me hlng o.
On hin. ana King Humnert of Italy caused a gold
medal to be str4ck n nonoT q, o. ms 5a9oTs ,+1
trustee Of the Museum ana secretary OF the board
on May L. 1879 ne was apPo'e9 oe alreC3f o. l me
TO the time of his death and with the exception OF
two meetings held in the sumner Of 1900 when Hs he
board OF trustees or Jhe e4ecp Se r yee ago
was Miss Mary Isabel Reid, second daughter OF the
~! 5S 0i iino[tn as the Hero Of Fayal'
General di Cesnola. in addition to the -honors
italy was expecting to receive the decoration OF
The order OF SITS MauriZio and LaZZaro for his
service in suggesting 10 J. Pierpont Morgan the
Teturninc to the Italian government OF the highly
priced historic AsCOH cope.
George H. Story. curator OF paintings at the
Museum and the acting director, IN talk with a
1Tribune reporter yesterday. paid q cordial ana
-rnpathetic tribute to the generals memory De
SOD the general looked after the interests or the
ar TIovas of the museum with the assiduouS care
~ a father and that all felt sincere sorrow 1or
bjs loss The generals chief trait rs director OF
the institution wonderful fidelity 70 ms trust
No hours were long for him and no work TOO
t,era i'm n
ne trustees Of the Metropolitan Museum OF Art
Iii +re-d he funeral OF General dl Cesnola, act
I'M pallbeareI5.