The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-08-25
.YESUVIUS HAS
ITS PULSE FELT
A SCIENTIST WHO LIVES UNDER
DEATHS SHADOW.
Professor Mateucci and His Residence
on Volcano-The Dangers of His
Life and the Mental Calm in Which
He Pursues His Studies.
w. G.. Fitz- Gerald in the World Today

| w. G. Fitz- Gerald in the World Today.
1t is by no means generally known
that the far-famed volcano, SO familiar
to every visitor to the bay Of Naples,
has a "guardian' specially appointed
by the italian government in the person
of Professor Luigi Mateucci. That this
well-known scientists services are of
vital Importance will be realized on re-
fecting how uncomfortable it is, to say
the least, to have 4,0OO-foot burning
mountain in the very center Of TEEN
ing population and q rich and fertile
province. Very few of the ordinary
tourists who ascend to tho crater of We
suvius by the -Funicular railway meet
the professor. He lives in the observa-
tory, all among the deep ashes and Gin
ders, about thousand feet below the
place where the reeking sulphur clouds
sweep up from the dread depths: 5*5,
Professor. Mateucci is just now very
much in evidence, owing to the new in
ternatlonaI movement, for the, excava-
ton of Herculaneum. which expert
psychologists say will yield much richer
statuary, mosaics, implements, etc.
'Herculaneum,' Professor Mateuc-
q pointed out to the present writer,
was buried much deeper than Pompeii
by the efflux of ashes and scoriae from
the volcano, and I am certain the city
will be found in amazingly perfect pre-
servation. ;. You must remember, too,
that Herculaneum was much more
popular resort with the Roman aristoc-
racy than her sister eli -.
nieular railway, + walked up. Vesuvi.
BY BY its g WI t5 Just noT Teeel4 tSa
professor said, tthe observatory is in
a very ,dilapidated state. The govern
ment has granted only 10000 francs
for repairs, and even this sum has not
yet been paid, so my masons and car
pe:n7ttesrrs are practically at a. stand
The rooms were indeed much disar-
ranged and confused. There were no
cabinets or shelves, to hold the volcan-
&c specimens that make Professor Ma
teucci's museum, and so these on the
occasion Of my visit, wrapped in pa
per, Uttered the chairs and tables. I
noticed that the professor has had a
wooden partition made in one corner
Of the observatory''s biggest room, an,
0Being a bachelor, , he neo TIA me-
smihnglly, = of. course I can put ID
with, almost anything in the way Of
primitive conditions and uncomfortable
surroundings. | must say, however, my
work is a little hindered by all this
And Herewith, the professor pro
dqced from a corner the albums in
which he keeps the very striking pho
tographs he takes recording the va
rious eruPtions!. Suddenly. picked
ont that jrnrocool soL.I
and sharp silver print, showing Ma.
mass of rock. "fhat,n said this is'i Won ~
derful man, "was thrown nearly q
thousand feet from temporary crater
3 one m morning mi + and fell within seven
ASKED hae ssn,a much does it w7eishao
about thirty-seven TONS" was the
quiet reply. -.
No, it cannot be cheerful to t@live or
Volcano You remember this is q
metaphorical expression, but in the
| case of Professor Mateucci it is liter.
ally accurate. One of his principal du
ties is to give warning of dangerous
eruptlons to the many towns and vii
lagos round about-not to mention the
proprietors Of vineyards and FARMS He
also reports by wire direct to Rome
anu d1so udS special service Tor the
't'Societa degli Albergatori, z or .Asso
citation of, Italian Hotelkeepers,: a body
! recently formed, of which Signor Flo
roni OF the Hotel de Londres in Gen!os
! IS the secretary. *, -y~@s .s
This body is. charged with, looking
after the interests Of tourists Fthruou1
Italy, from Tuscany to Sicily, and i,
4 always interested in big eruption" Of
Vesuvilrs, particularly if It is likely tt
be long continued. In such an event
which Professor Mateucci's long ant
varied experience of the mountain east
ly enables him to determine, traveller,
hock into Italy from all parts-espe
cially well-to-do Americans, who viii
even come from as far as the Italian
lakes Switzerland, the Riviera ant
even London.
1t is not too much to say that Mate
ucci is the physician of this dan
gerons giant. He can diagnose every
rumble and symptom of his patient
and knows exactly what warning t,
send out if the volcano bids fair t.
become violent. His seismographic in
struments are almost Incredibly sensi
tive; and he spends whole hours on tn,
very brink Of the various craters, lis
tening and watching for, signs. H
foresees which way the lava streams
will flow and whether there is likely t,
be any considerable emission of rocl
masses, some of which are hurled :;
mile high. y - =