NATURE AS SCIENTIST

Evening Star, Issue 19722, 24 November 1927, Page 9

NATURE AS SCIENTIST

VESUVIUS A GREAT LABORATORY How Vesuvius has contributed to our knowledge of volcanit action through its accessibility and the consequent establishment, on or near it, of institutions for tile scientific study of its phenomena, is told by Charles_ Fitzhugh Tahnan in an article contributed te the New York 1 Times.’ Wore Vesuvius located in tho Andes or on some isle of the South Seas, says Mr Talman, its eruptions, frequent and spectacular as they are, would attract little notice from a busy world. There are more than 400 nominally active volcanoes on the face of the globe. Many of them have been in modern times the scene of outbreaks compared with, which all modern eruptions of Vesuvius were tamo in the extreme. He proceeds: “ Because Vesuvius is in the midst of a dense and civilised population it is a notorious danger spot, and its doings are of universal interest. Along tho shores of the Bay of Naples it has repeatedly spread ruin and terror. Naples itself is panic-stricken whenever tho wrath of the volcano is aroused. “The last notable eruption of Vesuvius began on April 4, 1906. Between that date and April 21 there took place one of its greatest outbreaks, remarkable especially for the destruction wrought by the overwhelming fall of ashes. There were also severe earthquake shocks. Tho people of Naples were so terrified that more than 100,000 lied from the city, and processions constantly filled the streets imploring the intercession of- the saints. The city was wrapped at times in profound darkness and so heavily showered with ashes that some roofs gave' way under tho load. The cloud of ashes rose to a height of 12,000 ft, and dust fell Tn Constantinople and Paris. “In ages past Vesuvius was vastly larger .than it is to-day, and probably had many violently explosive outbreaks at intervals of several centuries.

“The explosive eruption that destroyed Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Stabiao in 79 A.n. was the earliest of which any record has been preserved. The last great outburst of this type occurred in 1631, when about 18,000 persons lost their lives.

“ Since then the character of the volcanic activity of Vesuvius has changed. Instead of producing great explosions at long intervals the crater is more or less continuously, but Hot uniformly, active. Small eruptions occur every lew years, and in the intervening periods of repose there are generally some signs of mild activity. The years 1766-07, 1779, 1794, 1822, 1872, and 1906 were marked by relatively strong outbreaks. The volcano remained exceptionally quiet for seven, years after the eruption of 1906. “ The proximity of Vesuvius to a civilised community is an advantage as well as a disadvantage. _ Vesuvius is easy of access to scientific observers, and lias been under constant investigation for generations’. _ Because of its accessibility, small size, comparative freedom from danger, diversity of eruptive phenomena, and rich mineralogy it has earned the nickname ‘cabinet volcano.’ Every paroxysm of activity provides opportunities for substantial additions to the data of volcanology. “The world possesses two great centres of volcanological research. One is at the crater of Kilauea, in the Hawaiian Islands. The location _ is, however* far remote from the familiar haunts of scientific humanity, and the volcanid phenomena that occur there are mucß less varied than arc those occurring at Vesuvius.

“ The oilier leading centre of volcanic research includes not only the wolbf known Royal Vesuvius which has been in operation for move than 80 years, but also certain nearby* institutions in Naples. In the lattea.city is the Volcano Institute, founded! in*l9l4 by Dr Iraraanual Friedknderij;j At the University of Naples are the] offices of the section of volcanology on the International Geodetic and Geophy-J sical Union. An extensive international! library and museum of volcanology iaj being assembled here. “ Tiro Vosuviau Observatory, main-j tained by the Italian Government,* stands on a ridge west of the central.* cone, where it lias escaped the lava] flows in the adjacent valleys, but has;; been much shattered by the earthquakes attending eruptions. Its first director was the celebrated Melloni, who died, in 1854. His successor, Palmieri, remained at his post during the violent! eruption of 1872. The next director, Mattcucci, did likewise during the outbreak of 1906, and his subsequent death was hastened by the breathing of volcanic ash at that time. “ During their heroic vigil on the mountain the volcanologists sent daily bulletins, by wire or courier, to Naples and the other Vesuvian towns, which were printed in poster form and prominently displayed. These reports from the front had most reassuring and steadying effect upon the population, who argued that if men could live on the volcano itself at such a time the danger could not be serious elsewhere.” Tiio eruption of 19U6 blew off about 35(Jft of the summit of Vesuvius and enlarged the crater, Air Talman tells us. Near the centre of the crater rises the “eruptive conclet,” which marks the summit of Hie volcanic vent, lu the recent eruption the lava in the now shallow crater overflowed the eastern rim into the depression called the Valii dell Inferno (Valley of Hell), and some of it flowed through breaks in the outer wall of the big prehistoric crater (Monli tSomma) into flic adjacent country, threatening tiio village of Terziguo. He goes on to say: “ Back in the year 1911, when the crater was still nearly, I,oooft deep, volcanologists began a series of audacious descents to the crater floor, scrambling down the almost perpendicular walls with the aid of ropes. In May, 11)12, Professor Alexandre Malladra, vice-director of the observatory, made the first of the numerous ascents by which ho won high renown throughout the scientific world.' Though almost overcome at times by the heat ami gases, Malladra and his companions remained for hours at a -stretch within the crater talcing photographs, measuring temperature#, and collecting samples of gases and minerals. In recent years, with the building up of the crater floor, access to it has become easy, and it has been visited by numerous investigators.”