The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-07-06
FLoaIcA's SPONGE Fishing.
an Industry Which Yields an immense
Revenue.
From the Ne,o York Advertiser

4'C ' CAA Nv
From the Neto York Advertiser.
Few people know anything about the
Florida sponge industry, but it employs an
army of workers, and the pursuit is replete
with Interesting features. II is first worthy
of note that the earliest settlements made
in the Florida keys, extending from Caps
Florida for distance of 200 miles was made
st Key VAcoa by fishermen from Mystic.
Conn. In their fishing excursions they
found that Key West, from its deep,
spacious harbor aud easy access, offered
them bettsr headquarters. So they aban-
dened their first selection, moving fifty
miles further southwest. and taking possess
ion Of the famous key, which is the most
southerlY polut of Uncle Sans possessions.
About the year 1926 immigration set IN
from the bahama Islands, the climate
vegetable and animal life of the two coun-
tries being essentially alike. People unac-
quainted with the peculiarities of the Gulf
Keys would regard the II as wholly worth
less for agriculture and almost uninhabi-
table. They are, in fact. mere beds of
broken coral rock, elevated few feet above
the sea level. and in places covered with
coral sand; but the porous aud soluble mas
ture of this rock renders it capable Of sup
porting a luxurious vegetation, as it at
tested by massive trees of mahogany
mast;c, Indian fig and other species. mingled
with vines and various plants.
II pair Of compasses be placed with one
leg at Cape Romano and the other AT Key
West, and if from the latter point, starting
eastward, quarter Of a circle be drawn,
the resulting line will be almost the exact
outline Of the outer range of keys. The
C use of so symmetrical an outline evidently
is the direction and force OF the mighty
current called the Gulf stream, which
sweeps past the entire line of keys at a dis
tanos Of but six or eight miles.
AS the keys became settled the inhabit,
ants naturally took to fishing for a liveli-
hood, the only exception to the ordinary
and monOtonous vocation being a wreck.
The Bahamians were naturally the first to
develop the sponge industry, and it soon
came to be the practice for the natives TO
go out among the keys from two to four
miles in snail boats, and IN a few hours
pick up several hundred pounds of the finest
sheep's-wool sponges. They would bring 10
aud - cents pound.
THE FIRST BOOM IN SPONGE FISHING.
In 1853 the pursuit received an impetus
that established it as a business. A schooner
was fitted out and returned in a week with
a full cargo, which was disposed of for Is
cents pound. From that time until 1861
there were about "a dozen vessels engaged
il the business, the prices raging from Is
TO 80 cents per pound. The Industry Ian
Ruished during the civil war, bat it has
since developed rapidly, until at the present
day there are over two hundred vessels,
ranging from four to fifty tons burden, en-
gagged in sponging, giving employment to
/ 800 men in Key West alone and bringing
in a revenue Of over $500, 900 annually.
The sponge beds proper extend from
Cane Florida TO near the mouth of the
ApalachicOlt river, q distance of 900 miles,
aud from one-half q n mile to twsuty
miles from the coast. at depths ranging
from one to eight fathoms, tnis being the
greatest depth sponges have been fshed for.
Some are found along the Atlantic coast as
far as Jupiter Inlet. The area thus fished in
is over 20 600 square miles of water, and
can be greatly extended when improved
facilities for fishing at greater depths are
introduced.
HOW THE "sPONGING" Is DONE.
The manner of fishing aud apparatus re-
quired are simple. involving only a small
outlay Of capital. Each schooner or sponger
has from two to six small boats, with two
men in eacs. One souls aud the other
stands at the bow with a sponge hook,
which is a three-pronged. sickle~Shaped
instrument, bat more curved, and meas
uring from the point to the base nine
inches; the prongs are half an inch in d.
ameter from the base to the curve, aud
gradually tapering 20 a blunt point,
the halt is round and about six
inches long, IL is secured to alpOie one ana