Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1865-08-31
SPONGE DIVERS.

L
| The mode of operation preparatory to
dive is very peculiar and interesting Ihe
diver whose turn it is to take his seat on
| the deck of the vessel at either the bow or
! stern, and placing by his side large, nat
slab of marble, weighing about % pounds,
to which is attached rope OF the proper
length and thickness inch), he then
strips and is left by his companions to pre-
pare himself This seems to consist IN de-
| voting certain time to clearing his lungs
by expectoration, and highly initiating them
| afterwards, thus oxydizing his blood very
| highly by a repetition OF deep Inspirations
| The operation lasts from FIVE to ten min
utes, or more, according to the depth, and
during it the operator is never mterfered
| with by his companions, and seldom speaks
| or is spoken to he is simply watched by
| two of them, but at little distance, and
| they never venture to urge him or to dis
tract him in any way during the process.
| 1t seems to the spectator as IT. the diver
| were going through sort of mysterious
ceremony or incarnation.
When, from some sensation known only
| to himself, after those repeated long-drawn
and heavy inspirations, ne deems the ht-
ting moment to have arrived, he selzes the
slab of marble, and after crossing himself
and uttering prayer, plunges with 1t Ike
a returning dolphin into the sea, and rapid
ly descends. The stone is always held,
during the descent, directly in front OF the
head, at arms length, and SO as to offer as
little resistance as possible and, by vary
ing it's inclination, it acts likewise as
rudder, causing the descent to be more or
less vertical as desired by the diver. As
soon as he reaches the bottom he places
the stone under his arm to keep himself
down, and then walks about upon the rock
or crawIs under ledges, stuffing the sponges
into netted bag with hooped mouth,
which is strung round his neck to receive
them but he holds firmly to the stone or
rope all the while, as his safeguard for re-
turning and for making the known signal
at the time he desires it. Now let us no
tice the proceedings of his companions in
the boat floating some twenty or thirty
fathoms above him.
The two men who were nearest to HIM
previous to his making the dive, but who
Systematically seem to place themselves so
as to prevent him from conceiving the idea
of being impatiently watched by them
Wills. undergoing the preparation, spring
to their feet as he disappears, and rush to
the rope. which one Of them holds in his
hand, veering it out or shortening it, AS the
diver moves about on the bottom and as
soon as the signal indicative to his wish to
return is felt, they commence hauling up
the rope with great energy and earnest
ness, and in way calculated to insure the
greatest expedition of ascent,t since the
overstay of a few seconds may be point
of life or death to the diver. The hauling
up is thus effected
The assistant who has hold Of the rope,
awaiting the signal, first reaches down
with both hands as low as he can, and
there grasping the rope, with great bodi-
ly effort raises it up to nearly arms length
over his head the second assistant is then
prepared to make his grasp as low down
as he can reach, and does the same, and
SO on the two alternately, and by fathom
or more at time, and with graf rapIdIty,
bring the anxious diver to the surface
A heavy blow from his nostrils to expel
the water and exhausted air indicates to his
comrades that he is conscious and breathes.
A word or two is then spoken to him by
one of his companions, to encourage him, if
he seems much distressed, as is often the
case and the hearing of the voice is said
Dy them 10 De great support DIT thc mo-
ment of their greatest state Of exhaustion.
A few seconds rest at the surface, and then
the diver returns in the boat to recover,
generally putting on an under garment or
Jacket to assist the restoration of the ami
NAL heat he has lost, and to prevent the
loss of more by the too rapid evaporation
of water from his body. Such is the try
ing life Of Levantine sponge-dlver and
doubtless there are very few of US who
have any idea what a fellow creature has
suffered in procuring that little article
which has become a necessity of our toilette
table, and the luxury of our morning ablu-
tions--Captain SpratPs Travels IN Crete.