Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-04-24
HERoIsM OF SCIENTISTS.
Deeds of Two In Observatory De.
stroyed by vesuvius.

tory on Mount Vesuvius, which was
destroyed by the recent outbreak OF
the Italian volcano, was situated
nearly 1000 feet above the level OF
the sea on Collie Canteroni, a ridge
which in past eruptions Of the vol
cano has separated the lava streams
into two branches, says the New York
American.
These men of science, at the immi-
nent risk Of their lives, have taken
observations in time gone by that
were of inestimable advantage In
forecasting the renewed activity OF
the volcano, and there, on Saturday
night tAp.fl " the famous Matteuc-
CT, official obsc gver, with an Ameri-
can named Perret, remained amid
the storm Of fire and lava until f.
nally forced to flee for their lives.
A splendidly equipped observatory
In every respect. It was situated on q
ledge Of rock which ran out from the
very foot Of the crater. At one time
occupying a position Of vantage where
the stream of lava passed it by on
either side, like an island swept by
the sea, the successive eruptions had
filled up the ravine which the
''watchtower Of science overlooked
until the ledge was almost on a level
with the surrounding country, and thus
was In line for the destruction which
II met In the recent torrent Of fire.
The romance Of science surrounded
the famous old observatory, and with
the ruined tower the names Of two
fearless scientists are indissolubly
linked-Palmieri and Matteucci. Pal
meri came first, and for a score OF
years and until death claimed him
at the advanced age Of ninety-one, in
Without a break he predicted each
recurring eruption Of the volcano for
a period Of more than forty years
the instrument that he had invented
for the noting of subterranean move.
ments Of the mountain being Of SO
delicate a nature that the slightest
disturbance in the crater, the slight
est trembling In the air was instantly
registered.
During the fearful eruption in 1872
he had an experience in the watch
tower calculated to shatter the mind
of the strongest devotee Of science
but what he then passed through but
added to his veneration for his mis-
tress," as he termed the roaring vol
cano. On the night of April 26 Of that
year the eruption reached its most
terrifying heights. Professor Gar
rett P. Serviss, who visited Palmieri
In the observatory later, has written
about the events Of that night.
II could see him." writes the pro-
fessor, ION that awful night Of April
26. when his observatory, shaken and
rocked by the convulsions Of the
mountain. on whose very shoulders
Ii perched, was surrounded by tive
vast streams Of molten lava, while
intermingled with burning fragments
swept down upon it. blazing bombs
from the crater dropped by scores
upon the terraces. and terrific. light
ming strokes fell thick and fast amid
the roar and below Of the volcano
audible fifty miles away.
1.-The heat at the observatory
rose to 100 degrees, an oven temper
ature, yet Palmieri never dreamed OF
deserting his post. He was a captain
Of science. and this was his battle
field. whether 1t should prove a Ron
cesvalles or a Tours. Nor was there
danger only from falling missiles and
burning lava. Vast quantities Of car
bonic acid and sulphurated hydrogen
gases and other noxious exhalations
poured from the rended mountain,
rendering the air at times foul and
suffocating.
people fled by the thousands
from the semi-circle of towns and
cities lying on the shore Of the bay
miles away, but Palmieri remained
at his post, while around and far be-
low him on all sides the fields were
blasted with fire, trees were burned
into burning pyramids, deserted
houses were overwhelmed, and scores
of lives were lost So steady were his
nerves and so unshaken his devotion
that the records Of the observatory
today contain a minute history Of ev-
cry phase of this calamitous erup-
ton, which, while 1t continued,
spread the very madness Of unthink-
ing terror over Naples and all the
country round about It,"
Palmieri was succeeded by Mat
teucci, who by enduring an almost
precisely similar experience proved
himself a worthy successor to the
heroic scientist He spent three days
May IL, IL and 13 Of 1900-at the
crater's edge during the eruption OF
that year and escaped with his life
after the most narrowing tortures,
Again. all the scenes so graphically
described by Professor Serviss were
re-enacted, again the heat rose to in
credible intensity, and once more the
noxious gases and, worse, the flow
ing lava surrounding him on every
side.
With watch in hand Matteucci
noted the progress Of the eruption.
AS he watched he noticed a block
of mammoth size rise above the top of
the crater. Carried aloft by an un-
seen power, 1t rose slowly at first,
and then, as the fascinated eye OF
the scientist watched its progress, 1t
gathered terrific speed and was hurl-
ed high over the top Of the noun
tain and precipitated with an ear
splitting report to the slope Of the
mountain.
By noting carefully the time Mat
teucci observed that the immense
projectile was suspended above We
suyius seventeen seconds before 1t
reached terra firma. Later, when he
had an opportunity to measure 1t,
he found that it was about IL cubic
meters In circumference and weighed
approximately thirty tons. When 1t
reached the earth 1t was travelling at