Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-19

was distressed to find dead and dying sight
seers in the observatory.
Eight Hundred Feet Into the Crater.
It has truly been said that Palmieri was
1.-The familiar spirit Of the volcano" He
apparently had no dread Of II in the slight
est degree. Indeed. the eruption OF 1872
was barely over before he made his way to
the crater. taking along with him his port
able bifilar electrometer, an instrument OF
his own invention, for studying the cleo
tricfty In the Vesuvian smoke clouds.
He found the crater divided by q great
wall. The two abysses had vertical sides.
and revealed the internal structure of the
cone. Their vertical depth was 250 meters.
and beyond that observed a sort of tun-
mel perforated in the rock. with cover
ing arch raised above the bottom of the
eastern abyss about twelve meters. judg~
ing by the eye Various assures
about the brim Of the double crater tndi-
Gated prolongations downward. which al
lowed me to descend with a rope in order
to examine the interior of the tunnel"
Just a matter of s2O feet into a hole that
a short while before had been belching fiery
and suffocating death and destruction all
about! Palmferi often descended into the
crater. He gave no more thought to such
trip than the average person gives to the
most ordinary duties Of humdrum everyday
life.
Men. observing an eruption Of Vesuvius
from safe distance. have written Of some
hemmed in by the awful phenomena Of a
grand eruption, beheld them with poets
soul
The smoke driven up with violence. as
sumed the usual aspect OF a pine tree. OF so
sad color that 1t reminded US Of the shad-
owy elm OF Virgil'S dreams (ulnius opaca In
gens)." To him the lavas bearing threaten
tngiy down upon him, surrounding him,
making him swelter in sitting heat and
struggle for breath. were splendid" And.
later on. the wall that divided the crater
was 'cyclopean."
Yet. for all his daring and the decades
that he spent on Vesuvius in the name OF
science, Palmieri went to his grave bearing
only one MARYLAND that slight one-of his
pets fury. He had the fore part OF the
hair of his head burned off, and was bald
thereafter. Il had to sacrifice something
for living in so hot a place." was his humor-
GUS explanation of his partial badness.
Palmieri's Brave Guard.
Palmieri was much averse to having any
one run the same risks that he ran. Dur
ing the eruption Of 1872 bands of brigands
overran the stricken region, and that Pal
mieri might not be disturbed the govern
ment dispatched two carabineers to him to
act as guard. When they presented them
selves at the observatory Palmieri insisted
on their leaving at once, saying that he did
not care to put their lives in jeopardy. The
carabineers retorted that II they were not
permitted to remain they would certainly
take the professor with them to the city.
To be compelled to leave his post was the
thing furthest from Palmieri's mind, so he
was forced to share his threatened roof with
the brave guard.
1t must not be supposed from the forego-
ing that Palmieri was altogether free from
concern while the eruption was taking place.
Two things caused him much uneasiness.
One was that as he had only one assistant
the instrument could not be watched as
<xto Ia fa1l lor ant ad
the fact that he could not communicate
with his beloved Naples at the most critical
period. and 90 contradict the alarming and
baseless rumors that he knew, from past ex-
periencs. were being circulated to the unal-
Logged fright and panic OF many persons.
Palmieri was seemingly fitted by nature
to study her most famous volcano. From
early boyhood he evinced lively interest
W ere his studies at the University Of Naples,
and later on he had a private school in
which he taught philosophy and physics to
400 students. Next, he was professor OF
mathematics at the lyceums Of Saierno.
Campobosso and Evelino, successfully. In
1s45 he was made professor Of physics in
the Royal School Of Marine, Naples. After
two years he was appointed professor
in the university, and seven years later,
when he began the great work OF his life,
at an age when most men shrink from as
Stunning new tasks, he was nationally famed
as an astronomer.
While he lived all italy could not boast
OF a more profound scholar. He wrote
Latin and Greek granmars. history OF
Greece. q history Of Italian literature.
history of Fiacchio. where he was born on
April g. 1907, besides text books on physics
and mathematics, a two-volume work on
the elements of philosophy. for use In col
ieges and scores of memoirs on various
branches of physics. electricity. magnetism
and meteorology being among them. Be-
tween 1912 and 1872 he produced no less
than forty such memoirs. He was indie
fatigable in his researches. and that is one
reason why he has contributed more than
any other man to the volcanic knowledge
Of the race.
First Citizen Of Naples.
During the greater part Of the forty and
more years that Palmieri spent measuring
vesuvius inside and out. calculating the
amount of Lava It had elected. and studying
It IN every way he could conceive. he was
easily the first citizen OF Naples
Early IN this work ON the volcano he in
vented the seismograph. a delicate mechan-
Ism that catches the slightest tremor Of
the volcano. Hence he was able to predict
with remarkable accuracy every fresh out
break Of his oct. and the fulfliment OF his
saSes In times Of apprehension speedily won
him sure place In the hearts OF all Nea-
politana.
While the eruption Of 1s72 was In progress
frequently be seen from Napies, and on ev-
cry hand prayers were heard for the safety
OF the intrepid scientist penned within.
When great ball of smoke was seen to
spring apparently from the ground and
right by the side Of the observatory many
Of the onlookers. thinking that Paimieri's
end had at last come. burst into uneontrolla-
BILE weeping.
The worst day OF the eruption was Friday,
April "a Tho following Friday the profess
sor descended into the city that he might
lecture to his clasa the next morning on the
, more important OF the phenomena he had
observed and studied. The city had learned
that he wss to do this and long before
dawn OF Saturday morning thousands OF
persons began collecting In front Of the hall
where the lecture was to be given Painieri
was plainly averSe to facing such q multi
tude. and when Il was suggested to him
that he p0stp0us his lecture until o hall
that would hold thousands instead Of hum
dreds could b secured. he eagerly seized
on the opportunity to lead q handful Of
his students back 10 tho mountain shortly
after daybrsak But thsy did not leave thu
city alone. Hundreds or enthusiasts Nea-
politans. epprised Of THAR hero's new move,
tell IN behind him and hb young men and
enthusiastically accompanied them the
greater part Of the way Back 20 The obssrva-
fnySv