The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-15
man WHO SITS ON VESUVIUS.
LIVELY JOB OF A SCIENTIST ON
A VOLCANO.
Prof. Matteuccl Of the Observatory Near
the Crater Injured Several Times. but
stil Enthusiastic About HIS Work-h
q BOmbardment OF volcanic Missiles.

PfOT. Matteuccl 4" inc VUbcrNStOry Nee'
n Crater Injured Several Times, but
sim Enthusiastic About HIS Work-In
q Bombardment OF Volcanic Missiles.
In the matter of sitting OF lids Prof.
r. V. Matteucci, director OF the Royal OBJ
servatory on Vesuvius, can give points to
either Secretary Taft or a reform New York
Police Commissioner. He has been sitting
on the Vesuvian lid for ten years or more,
and although at times cut and pounded by
volcanic bombs, which once cent him Into q
hospital, he shows no desire to quit.
The observatory has stood for sixty years,
more or less, intact. 1t is about 1000 feet
above the level Of the Bay Of Naples, on a
little hill called San Salvatore at the foot
Of the great cone.
This hill acts as q sort Of lava breaker,
turning aside the streams which pour from
the crater, 30 that the observatory 10 free
from peril except from bombariment by
stones and other volcanic missilea. 1t fire.
ouently has been damaged In this way, and
during the present eruption all Its windows
have been broken. The building oonsists
Of q single story raised on terraces and
containing laboratories, Offices and living
rooms for the director.
1U0 ODSdT NdJOTy wac uht w sho AN0h1h
Government In lsl1 and has been presided
over by four different directors. the first OF
whom, Signor Melloni, was forced to fee
from the country on account Of certain
revolutionary political opinions which he
entertained. The second director, Prof.
Palmieri, became famous for his invention
Of the seismoscope, an instrument which
produces electromagnetic seismographs.
Ma n-l..t-- Il taNtn @,ttnhnI IN
by remaining at his post during the erup-
ton of 1872, when the observatory was
set on fire and partly destroyed by showers
of red hot stones from the crater. The
SUCCESSOR Of Prof. Palmieri and the pre-
decessor Of Prof. Matteucci was Signor
Semmola.
Prof. Matteucoi Is not blind to the perils
OF the lid on which he sits, but he seems TO
like his job. When the other day he was
driven by the violence Of the eruption away
from the observatory he lost no time In re-
turning the next day.
Il love my mountain" he recently said,
speaking Of his work there. Il could not
leave her. / am welded to her forever.
My few friends say that her breath will
scorch and wither my poor life one Of these
days; that she will bury my house In streams
OF liquid metal. or rae it to Its foundations.
Already she has hurt me, has injured me
sorely. Yet / forgive her; l wait upon her;
l am hers always"
Prof. Matteucci's daily work at the OBJ
servatory consists in observing dynamic
and meteorological phenomena, noting the
movement and aspects Of the volcano and
classifying and rearranging all the exist
ing and newly gathered materials, He
Usually rises with or before the sun, and
does his own cooking. Each day he calcu-
lates the total number Of explosions, e1-
amines and collects the matter elected and
takes photographs at close range.
The most serious accident which has
happened to Prof. Matteucci occurred dur
ing the eruption Of 1900. He has given the
following account Of that incident:
Il was standing not far from the crater's
edge, taking photographs. The energy OF
the explosions wGs increasing enormously:
and aware that a still greater outbreak
was preparing and that there was not a
moment to lose, I hurried away from the
edge of the abyss, calling loudly to my as
s~istants to follow me.
we could not run very fast, as the cone
was covered with immense quantities Of
loose stone which had been elected during
the preceding few days, l remember we
ran westward, toward the plain Of the
Fumaroll, or smoke-vents.
we were hardly sixty feet from the
edge OF the crater, when On awful ex-
plosion took place. At that moment my
only thought was Of my scientific work,
80 / stopped and turned eagerly toward the
stupendous column OF smoke which rose
into the sky,
INSTANTLY I found myself in the midst
OF a shower OF stones. How / avoided
them I cannot say.
They whistled and screamed like pro-
jeotiles in a battle. l did my best TO avoid
the larger rock masses, which always fall
first. My camsra wa smashed to pieces,
and while STOPPING to regain the lens i
lost my balance and fell into a mass Of
burning hot ashes.
Il rose in great pain, gathered up the
pieces Of the camera-for it contained
some very valuable hlms-and then, profit
ing by q quiet interval, l crawled down the
mountain, imperatively ordering my COM
panions to leave everything and come
with me. In our retreat We lost many
| fine examples Of bombs and scorie covered
with a glittering metallic glaze.
not at frat realize thai l was hurt. / was
most grateful TO nave escaped death.
aThe guides, however, pointed out that
nv chin, and indeed all my lace was covered
with wounds and bruises. My clothes
were scorched, and my hands and arms
bleeding,
bruised about the body; my lett loot was
ba ily hurt, and, wors OF all, my right
knee had been struck by an enormous
bomb In it's rebound. l was obliged to 60
to the hospital in Naples and remain there
.or several months
In 1895, 1897, 1899 and 1908 there were
DISPLAYS Of activity on Vesuvius which &C.
casioned much alarm for the safety Of the
| observatory and it's director. In 1899 q
secondary crater opened up, vomiting fire
and ashes, emitting lava streams and rocks
between the building and the foot Of the
cone, filling up tho Piano dele Ginestro.
Prof. Matteucoi did not desert his post,
! although he was urged to do 30.
Although the observatory has 80 far es-
capped destruction, there il no assurance
that it's location on the hill Of San Salvatore
always will serve to protect II. With a
volcano craters come and 60. One torrent
Of LIQUID FIRE may entirely demolish q crater,
or another may spring up In a nighV like a