The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1922-04-04
LIVES ON THE TOP
OF A BOILING CRATER
ITALIAN SCIENTIST RISKS HIS
LIFE FOR THE PURPOSE OF
STUDYING VESUVIUS.
EARTH'S HOTTEST PLACE

Professor Malladra Has Made Trip to
Floor of the Crater, Finding Stones
There Red Hot. Lives at Brink of
Restless Volcano.
Mount Vesuvius again is in eruption
and, in the face of the impending cata-
clysm that may cost the lives OF the
Italian peasants clustered on its side
Professor Alessandro Malladra, direc-
tor OF the Royal Vesuvian Observa-
tory. again has entered the volcano's
crater. He descended into the crater
at the beginning OF the eruption, and
the first cablegram describing his per-
ilous adventure stated briefly that the
heat scorched his face"
For more than decade Professor
Malladra has been living and sleeping
with Vesuvius at the observatory, To-
Gated as close to the great active era
ter as scientists deemed it wise to
erect a permanent building. He has
studied it first hand in all its moods,
taking its temperature daily, recording
its earthquakes and analyzing the
gases it exhales and the molten metal
it spouts forth. All this has been done
III the interests of science and in the
hope that some way eventually will
be discovered that will make possible
the prediction of its greater eruptions
and the saving OF human life.
Reached Craters Floor.
Frequently Malladra has penetrated
tIa 1T he
once back in 1912, when Vesuvius had
enjoyed a particularly quiet spell, he
reached the center Of the floor OF the
actual crater and with a companion
planted a flag there. Whenever the
volcano shows signs of activity or
presents any unusual phenomena his
efforts are redoubled, for it is then that
he has the best opportunities for learn
ing something OF value from the
scientific standpoint.
In his famous descent into the era
ter III 1912, when he reached the very
center, Professor Malladra and his
companion took two ropes, one $50
feet and the other 500 feet long. Us
ing the long rope for the first part OF
the descent they dropped down into
the crater, armed with cameras and
other scientific instruments. They were
struck by hurting rocks and were
nearly blinded by the gases.
Heat Was Terrific.
The scientists encountered terrihC
heat in the crater, the stones, which
they brought back as specimens, hay
ing a temperature OF about 500 de
grees Centigrade At times the lava
reaches a temperature of 2,0W degrees
Fahrenheit. The climb to the top OF
the crater, after their explorations
was the hardest ordeal for the two
men, who several times were nearly
overcome by gases.
The observatory is 900 meter.
from the central chimney of the vol
cano. 1t was begun about 1870, wher
the eminent naturalist, Melloni, was
called to Naples by King Ferdinand
II. 1t was completed in l847 and In
stalled with three stories OF large
rooms, platform on top for meteor
illogical observations, and cellars un
derneath containing chronological reg
istering apparatus. Every scientific de
vice needed is contained in the equip
ment, and the temperatures and chem
istry Of the carnations from the vents
of the volcano are constantly observ
ed and studied The seismograph
show that the mountain is i'll a per
petual CULVER, the needles oscillatmt
dav and night, even when the volcano
IS Q11iteSt