New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-11-02
The Sponge FISHERIES.

THEIR IMPORTANCE AS AN INDUSTRY.
zov spovcrs ARE GATHERED IN THE BAHAMA ISL
Ayps-rHE DIFFERENT GRADEs-ATrEMPr AT
ARTIFICIAL PROPAGATIoN-THE FLORIDA
sPONGEs.
The Importance of the sponge fisheries Is
increasing every year Particularly is this true OF tine
American sponge fisheries on the Gull coast ana III 'ne
Bahama Islands The sponge industry OF the banamSe
il really monOpoIzed by three or four hrlns prholp"
among which are McKesson & Robbins OF TINS Guy
This firm have recently requested to furnish col
lection of American sponges for the National Museum oi
Ntrral Historv at Washington. This collection Is near
" compleed and embraces about fifty different VAls
+es Among the curiOsities that tue COLLECTION cono'
are a large cup sponge or Neptunes gooet ; perl-
fed sponge two pieces formed ike the KnueAe OIL .He
freep OF an OK and perfectly round sponge when
Ia heco,ne detached when small and continued to grow
as rolled py the action of the sea. D. A Gabay'
., axpert in sponges In the employ OF McAessoh
pohbns gave TO a TRIBUNE reporter the following III
formation with regard 10 the sponge industry
- vrv few peoplev he said, " have any idea OF what
sponges are where they grow and no" they are gain
cred It is really the most important INDUSTRY !" 'n'
abana Islands and furnishes TO hundreds OF It's nsh-
80 essels and MACK native fishermen lucrative employ
aDt Ttisuow generally accepted by Professor Agas-
z and other naurass that the sponge belongs 10 ING
animal kingdom Those Of the Bahamas ana Other west
indian Islands OF a larger size and coarser quany
.bo those
arne and shipment Of sponges In these ISLANDS was
IL a ,nononolv but the fishermen finding more profit
"a e,citemept in wreckng, they practically abandoned
~. ongs s,heries few years later the fishermen
again took TO gathering sponges until the american ne
Iitor when Notwithstanding engrossed their atten-
on ana the sponge industry sank 10 low eDo 10 re-
% ogaip at the close of the The Bahanians have
anned themseveso the sponge fisheries WITH assiduty
since s7s and new fields have been discovered and the
80 has thus been largely increased. At first the
~ ,os were divided into two classes-the coarse and
the fine They are divided into many Yareues'
nr,ncinally the sheep-w0O whe-reer, abaco-velVet,
darreef boat hardhead grass, yellow, ana glove Ine
value Of these IL in the order named the sheepwooi
hang the prime grade OF each of these grades there
ror,etes nil being useful for mechanical,
I15 b,+btnu nuruoses The vessels employed in
,h s,onoe fisheries small craft Averaging about ten
iona each and carrying from six to dozen men, WIN
tx .es provisions on board, they start out coastng
~ -be hanks and reefs where the water is shalow,for
- b Liabilities sponges are found. Occasionally how
ponges are found at great depths they are read
w sen growing upon the rocks reefs or shoals, and are
r+ ~ the surface BY means " iron hooks fastened
% IoT, noles sometimes the fishermen dive for them
ubare the water IS very ueep Inc
diver takes down with him nat
triangular stone with hole drilled through one OF
ira corners To the stone cord from the boat 10 at
+hd and the diver makes IL serve TO guide him to par
ocular snots When he reaches the growing sponges ne
banr off the rocks and places them under his
arms ne S inv mil him on board When first caught
The re is soft gelatinous substance i OF me- ana
sbac< as the sponge proper Oehg Ieay cue
o. snnnort OF this living organism Inc uys eaten Is
spread upon the deck 80 as to Eli TINS hvng covering
yrIich In decaging emits the ylest Odor-' Wneh sum
Gent quantity sponge has been gathered 70 warrant
t the men ashore build pen 81 STAKES NJ he waters
edge and place the sp0ngeH theItlu ny vi So
td helps TO remove the black covering the process pc
ing completed by poundng tnS the ars
.trung upon palmetto sticks, eecn string containing
three or four sponges and with this cargo the vessels
return Re 70 rSd is controlled by Nassau sponge tx
change Company, Limited. where sale are mace daily
after which the sp0nges are hauled 70 the packing
wards where they are assorted ana euppeu mo soou
bane they are then Dut into tn or watts or lime wa
fer ~ soak for several hours and are afteTwaId spread
Upon canvas TO bleach and dry In the sun Mex they
bre feet in size each containing 100 pounds the PACK
ages being covered with coarse DasSng securely SeTqu
&C., oo-dad and they are then ready for shipment Up
Great t HT naa sa gates I haTe taken 1s
trade but since then tne h vane ~ ffose coming
a,t wear being SI1363 while those going to Great
brea d;scovered was near the Island OF Eleuthera
sbomt a xfv miles from Nassau II extends over many
miles but the majority Of the sponges 0und thus iar are
~ m tro large size with inferior body and not 50
valuable az those OF more moderate SIZE Inc wafer
also dee and the gathering aDorous ana leuOus Tue
Nn COS from the Bahamas Of the medium grades
re sIeeps-wool bringing about 81 pound. Inc same
grade was as low 90 cents pound less thah year
n nm account of the discovery OF some new beds.
The best American sponges come from me eoast OF
Florida they being far superior 20 nose Oh Tue sna1s
and West indies The sheepswoOl grade brings - %
nound AT the wharf. An attempt mas recently Oeeu
made az Kew West plant beds or spOn2es-tO propa-
gate them artcally-and with very far success Inc
pan Ia 10 take growing sponge under water ana cut II
In dozen or more pieces and then anchor them IN va
rious sDots This was done than year ago, ana
the anon yes which resulted fine in quaty a. the
original one. The person who made the experiment
fels so much encouraged that he Will continue MS el
forts He met with difficulty rs the waves washeo
the plants occasionally. The sponges on tnc cots
OF Florida taken from about forty fee OF wate anu
are ished by hooks long poles The nsnernah USES
10 see the sponges bucket with glass ooIoni I
presses jsr below the surface OF toe water anu 10
can the bottom IA plainly az II tnete was csn
ing 20 Obstruct the view. The reason that uisvs
not work there TO advantage is because Vi INC humorous
sharks. 49,, .,o,oa. anna
| Now and then we have few Mexican sponses cOnS
on the market but they are or an Inferior luhSy
are hard The Mediterranean spOnges are INC e..
tempts were recently made to gather spVpSes IN IN
Mediterranean with dredging machines Dut Ins & d
overnment has prohibited their use pecauso tey ha
stTov the bes party has also been trying 10 use .
drsdge In the Florida fisheries but from 81 repor's
hos bean failure first because the bottom Is SO w
ca5c mat the iredge would not work perieet
r fhe snonges are much scattered 10 make
nrroatahe hut the most serious oWeclon is snat ~
rwond result n the destruction OF tine 0eds D,ookss
,rers siso being used In the Bahamas Dut severa Pet
gors "a the Governor complaining or the serious pJ
- th heds by their caused the Legislature 70 mae
s nrohihting their i'm portation into the lsands II
Sslieyed that their WOULD have resulted AtAe oen
| plsts exit otIoR OF the sponge seds."