Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 13.djvu/798

 SERPIERI

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SERRA

Serpieri, Alessandro, b. at S. Giovanni in Marig- nano, near Rimini, 31 Oct., 1823; d. at Fiesole, 22 Feb., 1S85. His early education was received at Rimini from the brothers Speranza, priests. His classi- cal studies he made at the College of the Scolopians at Urbino, of which tlic distinguished Latin scholar. Father Angelo Bonuccelh, was the rector. He entered their novitiate at Florence, 30 Nov., 1S38. From 1840-43 he studied philosophy and the exact sciences at the Ximenian College and obser\'ator}', whose rec- tor, the able astronomer and geodete. Father Gio- vanni Inghirami, was at the same time professor of higher mathematics and astronomy. Serpieri was only twenty years old when he was appointed in- structor in mathematics and philosophy at the col- lege of Siena. Here he became known as a model teacher on account of his lucid style of exposition, his eloquence, and his affable manners. In Nov., 1846, his superior appointed him professor of philosophy and phj-sics at the college of Urbino, while two months later the Papal Government called him also to the chair of physics in the university of the same city. On 27 Aug., 1848, he was ordained priest, and in Nov., 1857, he became rector of the college. He continued in this position and acted at the same time as pro- fessor until 1884, when the municipal authorities no- tified him of the impending secularization of education, both in the primarj- schools and in the colleges, invit- ing him however to remain as professor. This unjust decree caused him and his colleagues to give up their positions at the college. The sorrow caused by this event had an almost fatal effect upon his health, which had not been good for some time. Appointed to the rectorship of the Collegio della Badia Fiesolana, he died in the following year after a short illness.

Serpieri's chief merits as an astronomer lay in the observation of shooting stars. His first treatise on this subject dates from 1847 in the " Annali di fisica e chimica" of Maiocchi. In August, 1850, he discov- ered that the August meteors originate in a radiant not far removed from 7 Persei (hence " Perseids ", Ann. di Tortolino, 1850). In the same year he established an observatory at Urbino, and thereafter published regularly in his monthly bulletin the results of his me- teoric observations. These were of great assistance to Schiaparelli in the formulation of his theory on the shooting stars. Serpieri himself expressed some in- teresting views on this subject in his bulletin in 1867. Urged by Father Secchi, he went to Rcggio in Cala- bria to observe the total eclipse of the sun in 1870, and to ascertain with exactness the northern limit of the zone of totality. The coronal streamers of the sun ob.servable during the eclipse he declared to be sun auroras caused by the electrical influence of the earth and other planets on the sun (Rendic, 1st. Lomb., 1871). When Schiaparelli called his attention to the magnificent work by the American, George Jones, comprising 328 drawings of the zodiacal light as ob- served at different times and from different places (published at Washington at the expense of the Gov- ernment), he at once submitted it to a searching analysis. This led him to his theory, in which he ex- plains this phenomenon as light of the earth produced and maintained in the at rnosphere by special solar radi- ations ("La luce zodiarulf ntudiata nelle osserv. di G. Jones", 1.38 pp. in " Mem. Soc. Spettr. Ital. ", 1876-81).

Serpieri's greatest achievements are in the field of seismology. His study of the earthquake of 12 March, 1873, is, in the opinion of de Rossi, a model of scientific analysis. In this he was the first to intro- duce the concept of tlie seismic ra<^iiant. The so- called premonition on the part of animals he explains by the hjTJothesis of a preceding electrical disturb- ance. His master-work is his study on the earth- quake of 17 and 18 March, 1875, which caused great devastation in his home city and in other places. In this study he embodies 240 documents

coming from 100 different places, and in it his theory of radiants is proved in a striking manner. He also wrote two memoranda on the terrible catastrophe of Casamicciola. His complete seismological studies, for which he received the gold medal at the General Italian Exposition at Turin (1884), were republished in 1889 by P. G. Ciiovanozzi. Among his works on physics must be mentioned: a study on the pendulum of Foucault (Ann. Tortolini, 1851); a treatise on the simultaneous transmission of opposing electric cur- rents in the same wire (Corr. sc. di Roma, 1855), a lecture on the unity of natural forces (La forza e le sue trasformazioni, ISOS). His work on the electric potential ("11 potenziale elettrico", 171 pp., Milan, 1882), is noted for its system, clearness, and concise- ness. It has been translated into German by Reich- enbach (Vienna, 1884). His last work, on absolute measures ("Le misure assolute", etc., Klilan, 1884), gives in condensed form the principal theories on physics, in particular of electric currents. It has been translated into French by Gauthier-Villars (1886) and into German (Vienna, 1885).

GiovANOzzi, Della Vita e degli Scritti di Alessandro Serpieri delte Scuole Pie (Florence, 1887), 134 pp.; Alessandro Serpieri, D.S.P., Scritti sismologici nuovamente raccoUi e pubblicati da G. Gioranozzi, Direttore dell' Osservatorio Ximeniano (Florence, 1888-89); Poggendorff, Biogr. litt. Uandwh., iii, 1898, s. v.

J. Stein.

Serra, JuNipERO, b. at Petra, Island of Majorca, 24 Nov., 1713; d. at Monterey, California, 28 Aug., 1784. On 14 Sept., 1730, he entered the Franciscan Order. For his proficiency in studies he was ap- pointed lector of philosophy before his ordination to the priesthood. Later he received the degree of Doctor of Theology from the Lullian University at Palma, where he also occupied the Duns Scotus chair of philosophy until he joined the mis- sionary college of San Fernando, Mexico (1749). While travelling on foot from Vera Cruz to the capi- tal, he injured his leg in such a way that he suffered from it throughout his life, though he continued to make his journeys on foot whenever possible. At his own request he was assigned to the Sierra Gorda In- dian Missions some thirty leagues north of Quer6taro. He served there for nine years, part of the time as superior, learned the language of the Pame Indians, and translated the catechism into their language. Recalled to Mexico, he became famous as a most fer- vent and effective preacher of missions. His zeal fre- quently led him to em])loy extraordinary means in order to move the people to penance. He would pound his breast with a stone while in the pulpit, scourge himself, or apply a lighted torch to his bare chest. In 1767 he was appointed superior of a band of fifteen Franciscans for the Indian Missions of Lower California. Early in 1769 he accompanied Portold's land expedition to Ui)i)er California. On the way (14 May) he established the Mi.ssion San Fernando de Velicatd, Lower California. He ar- rived at San Diego on 1 July, and on 16 July founded the first of the twenty-on(! California missions which accomplished the conversions of all the natives on the coast as far as Sonoma in the north. Those estab- lished by Father Serra or during his administration were San Carlos (3 June, 1770); San Antonio (14 July, 1771); San Gabriel (8 Sept., 1771); San Luis Obispo (1 Sept., 1772); San Francisco de Asis (8 Oct., 1776); San Juan Capistrano (1 Nov., 1776); Santa Clara (12 Jan., 1777); San Buenaventura (31 March, 1782). He was also present at the founding of the presidio of Santa Barbara (21 April, 1782), and was prevented from locating the mission there at the time only through the animosity of fJovernor Phiiipe de Neve. Difficulties with Pedro Fages, the military commander, compelled Father Serra in 1773 to lay the ca.se before Viceroy Bucareli. At th(! capital of Mexico, by order of the viceroy, he drew up his