The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-03-12
PERRET
WATCHES VESUv|US
Records Every Activity of
Most Famous Volcano
Often in Danger.

Boston, March 11.-Perret, of VeSu-
vius, is here. Perret is one of the most
interesting men in the world. In one
particular, at least. he is unique
among men-his profession is repre-.
scented by only one man. and he that
one. He spends his life on volcanic
mountains and regions where earth
quakes are most frequent. His tools
are the seismograph. the microphone.
the barometer, the telescope and the
camera. Like an eagle he hovers on
and around Vesuvius. Stremboli, Etna,
Messina and Teneriffe.
During the eruption of Vesuvius in
1906 Perret was associated with Pro-
fessor Matteucci. of the Vesuvius OBJ
servatory. Throughout the entire
eruption Perret was close to the
mouth of the crater. making observa-
tons. capturing and testing the var
icus gases, photographing the erup.
ton and enduring hardships compar.
able to the tortures of the Internal re-
gions. and through it all he was as
happy as boy.
Watches the Volcanoes.
Frank Alvord Perret. officially, is
an associate of the department of &c.
ology of the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology; he is also the repre-.
sentative of the Volcanic Research so
cieay of Springfield, Mass. His visits
to America are few and always brief
Perret watches the active volcanoes OF
| the world with all the care that a
| mother bestows upon a sick child, and
when he is away from Vesuvius or
Stromboli for few weeks at a time
he chafes and worries lest some new
symptom of renewed activity develop
| and he is not near to observe and di
agnose it.
He Was In Messina.
Perret was in Messina. He suffered
hunger and thirst and exposure with
the rest. And he was there of his own
| accord, for he had predicted that err
upton.
Hard were his trials. but they were
scarcely comparable to what he en-
dured in the eruption of Mt. Etna in
1908. Then Perret ensconced himself
in the Alpine hut just below the era
ter. The main lava stream, hundred
and fifty feet wide and at this point
ten of twelve feet deep, swept within
hundred feet of the hut. The slight
est DETECTION in the current of this
| stream would have swept the hut. Per
ret. his instruments and records into
eternity. Day and night he stuck to
his post, although at times the irrita
ton produced by the fumes of the
gases made him groan aloud, and he
Of the spots in his throat which were
burned by the poisonous gases.
Foretoid the Earthquake.
At least six months before the Mes
sina earthquake Perret had predicted
disturbance in the vicinity of Mes
sina. During Christmas week he was
away from Italy, and returned to Ma
pies the night before Christmas in
order to be there for the disaster
which he felt confident was imminent
On the 28th, at 5:25 o'clock in the
morning, the earthquake occurred, ant
Perret was one of the first to arrive
in Messina.
| His Volcanic Start.
Frank Alvord Perret was not al
ways a volcanic expert. Years Of
close application in the laboratory
broke down his health and as victim
of nervous prostration, he went abroad
for health.
Ever since then Perret has lived in
the vicinity of Naples. His reason
now for continuing his residence il
that vicinity is the fact that this il
the one spot in the world nearest tt
several centers where internal dis
turbances occur with greatest frequen
cy. Vesuvius Is just before him;
Stromboli only few hours distan,
and Etna and Messina nights jour
ney away. They are his pets, and he
/ lives where he can watch them.