The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-05-20

beloved NapIesy at the most critical pc
riod, and so contradict the alarming and
baSelesS rumorS that he knew. from pas ST
experience, were being circulated to the
unalloyed fright and panic Of many per
sons
Palmieri was seemingly fitted by na-
ture TO study her most famous volcano
From early boyhood he ovinced q lively
interest in natural science This and phil
osophy were his studies at the Uniyer-
sity OF Naples, and later on he had a pri-
Ente school in which he taught philoso-
ply and physics to 400 students Next
he was professor of mathematics at the
limo. successfully In 1915 he was made
professor of physics in the Royal School
of Marine, Naples After two years he
was appointed q professor In the univer-
sity. and seyon years later. when he be-
gan the great work OF his life. ut an
age when most men shrink from assum-
Ing new tasks. he was nationally famed
as an astronomer.
While he lived, all Italy could not
boast of o moro profound scholar, He
wrote Latin and Greek Srammars. a his
tory OF Greece. history OF Italian lit
ernturc, history OF Fiacchio. where he
was born on April %, 1907, besides text
looks on physics and mathematics, a
two-Volume work on the Elements OF
Philosophy. for use In colleges. and scores
of memoirs on various branches of ply
sizes. electricity, magnetism and meteor
ology being among them Between 1872
and 1872 he produced no less than forty
such memoirs. He was lndefatigable In
his researches, and that is one reason
why he has contributed more than any
other man TO the volcanic knowledge OF
the race.
The First Citizen of Naples.
During the greater part of the forty
and more years thnt Palmleri spent
measuring Nesuyius inside and out, calcu-
lating the amount OF lava ii had elected
and studying IL in every way he could
conceive, he was easily the first citizen OF
Naples
Early in his work on tho volcano. he
invented the selsmograph, a delicate
mechanism that catches the slightest
tremor of the volcano Hence, he was
able to predict with remarkable accur-
acy every fresh outbreak of his pet.
and the fulnlment OF his first predic-
lions and his reassuring MESSAGES In
times of apprehension speedily won him
a sure place in the hearts OF all NeapoI-
itanS
While the eruption of 1872 was In prog
TesS' tne observatory, surrounded by fire
could frequently be seen from Naples, and
on every hand prayers wcre heard for
the SAFETY OF the intrepid scientist penned
within When a great ball of smoke was
seen 10 spring. apparently from the
ground and right by the side of tho OBJ
SerFatoryz many of the onlookcrs. think
ing that Palmieris end had at last come
burst into uncontrollable weeping
inc worst day OF the eruption was on
Friday, April 2G The following Friday
the professor descended into the city
next morning on the moro important of
the phenomena he had observed and
studied. The city had learned that he
was 10 do this, and long before dawn OF
saturday morning, thoueands of persons
began collecting In front OF the hall
where the lecture was to be given. Pal
mlerl was plainly aver9c to facing such
a multitude, and when II was suggested
10 him that he postpone his lecture until
a hall that would hold thousands instead
or hundreds could be secured he eagerly
seized on the opportunity to lead hand
ful OF his students back to the mountain
shortly after daybreak. But they did
not leave tho city alone Hundreds of
enthusiastic Nenpolitsns apprised OF their
heros new move, fell In behind him and
his young men and enthusiastically ac-
ccmpanied them the greater part OF the
way back 10 the observatory,
II was not until May l6 that the lecture
was delivered. BY that timo the city had
regainod Its wonted gaioty. all dread OF
Nesuvlus had passed. nevertheless sew
srai thousand persons crowded into tho |
I All to hear what Palmeri had to say
about their destructive neighbor
falmieri was flooded with addresses