The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-09-23
DANGERS THAT
INFEST THE DEEP
Thrilling Stories Of Adventure in the
Oceans Depths,
THOSE WHO DIVE FOR SP0NGtS.
The Many Enemies That They Meet
Beneath the Wavcs-Thcir Lives
Usually Short and Full OF
Excitement.
THOSE WHO DIVE FOR SPONGES.

Greek who has just returned from a visit
10 his old home. the island OF kalymnos
one OF the Sporades. of the coast Of Asia
Minor. declares that the loss OF life among
! the sponge divers has been phenomenal
DURING the pas. year, and has again reach
ei the figures 81 did seven years ago when
| the Patriarch at Consiantinoplo. Gregg
/ rius. then head Of the Greek Church, an
terfered and secured from the Turkish
/ Government mandate forbiddmg the use
Of diving bells or machines as they are
/ known 10 the sponge fishers
The average yearly loss Of life among
the snonre fishers in the Mediterranean
! Islands reaches on an average ovt. THIS
/ wear Including the present season. when
. ends with september ii IS expected the
/ deaths win foot up two-thirds as many
/ more ThemeH himself was "a hsher or
/ naked diver for spOngcs before De maze
| enough money 20 come 10 this country
| and become "a dealer IN the product. lie
| bears on his chest the scars OF the pile
Of the worm which infests sponges ana
! kills SO many naked divers. Theme.is
relatives are ail divers. or have become
! rich enough 90 take their places IN the
! merchant class in the sponge trade in the
islands.
MANY SCARS.
Among One Greeks 600 New York are
/ number of eX-sponee divers. and hardly
/ one but carries scars gained I'm their DAM
| ger0us work They are an interested in
! TnemIIs report OF tfe great risks that
| the sponge divers must take this year in
order to get the desirable sponges. Much
| of the safe depth has been so steadily
! finished. according to Themeli, that now
/ the divers are compelled to- seek greater
| depths in which the dangers they run OF
| paralysis are much greater. 90 say moth
| ing of The possibility of meeting sharks,
/ devil fishes and sun fishes or of cutting or
/ en,anging pipes and ropes in entering
| the grottocs and caves which they also
do nov more frequently.
The principal Islands now engaged in
| snorlre fishing are Kalymuos. symc,
| Chalk. Hydrea. Aegina. Kastellorizo, and
SpctsaL Some of them are so small that
they are not named on any but purely
| local maps. Very peculiarly. while one
island may be engaged entirely in sponge
fishing that next 10 it may devote Itself
! just as exclusively TO agriculture. kalym-
nos. the principal island, has a popula-
! tom of 5000. of whom about one-quarter
are engaged iu the sponge fishing. There
are fifty diving machines owned In this
island and 800 boats OF plain divers. IIy-
dresa the first sponge market In the Medi-
! terrauean. has a population of 1900. near
ly one-half OF which is engaged in the
sponge fisheries. owing 20 their having
| lN diving machines about $1,000 or half
the sponge production of these Islands,
comes from Hydrea.
CEREMONY HELD.
"The season begins" said Themen
after the Easter feasts. in every island
a ceremony is held for The sponge fishers.
In Kaiymnos a great feast takes place
After the fishers have an taken holy COM
muni0u 40 the Metropolitan Church Of the
| Holy Virgin. "a procession IS formed and
marches TO the sponge fleet. The priest
| goes into each ship scattering holy water
! and blesses the kaique. No sponge fisher
| would start out without this ceremony
There are four methods OF getting
| sponges by diving machines. plain or
! naked divers known as fishers, by drag
! cing and by happening. The last can
| only De used in shallow water and is lit
/ tie employed. Many Of the machines are
| owned by merchants. Others are owned
! and worked I'm shares by divers or by
| company Of men who man the two kaiques
| which accompany each machine. All have
! their duties. III they are not divers. they
| attend 90 cleaning and preparing the
/ sponges. Young boys 90 along as oars
| men. and the height of the ambition Of
| the island boys Is 90 be- permitted 10 JON
| the divers. Few Of them begin actual
| work however. until they arc over twenty
| years old. Then If they have luck and
| escape all the dangers Of the sea, they
may dive for twenty-five years.
4 SHORT LIFE.
! Few last long as divers. and when
the fleet goes out the women are very sad.
for they know only too we'll that from
| nearly every boat some one viii be miss
! ing when the kaiuues come back Some OF
| the boats make their first stOpping-place
not far from home. but travel several
| thousand miles before the end OF the sea-
son. Others head at once for Rhodes or
for the coast OF Africa, near RengasL
| which is a favorite place although the
| sharks are particularly numerous there
! and every danger seems greater. win
| each diving machine are two kaiques.
| one intended for a storehouse for the mar
! vest The boats are provisioned for the
| entire season. and about thirty men 80
/ besides the divers.
Besides the danger Of sharks. there is al
| ways the dread paralysis, the special
enemy of the machine diver. The inventor
! Of the machines guarantees them for use
! I'm water up TO sixteen fathoms only. but
as the sponge at that depth Seems TO be
| almost exhausted. the boats now go where
/ the water Is almost TWICE lllttt N'Ptl4- II
| IS because Of this that the greatest dan
| ger. paralysis. is so sure that 1t seems
almost like suicide. Yet the profits are
| SO great ln the estimation Of the divers
! tina. nothing can deter them from the
work. Sponge fishers call the distance
| from finger tips Of outstretched arms
| fathom
The danger from sharks or devil fishes
| is NOT so great. for machine divers carry
| a big lance as weapon against them.
| and have frequently been known 10 put
| their backs 10 a rock lighting until they
! have killed such enemies. But against
| the paralysis there is no weapon. At the
! depth 10 which the diver cescends 20 find
! desirable spOnges the air. which six men
/ al the pumps are able 10 supply, is not
sufficient 20 expand the suit so that il
can Withstand the pressure Of the water
| The diving suit squeezes the legs and body
| frightiully producing a sort OF paralysis
| that IS not always recognized by the diver
| until he reaches the surface and is eX-
! posed TO the air.
SIMPLE REMEDY.
| Until recently no method OF treating
| such cases was known except rubbing.
! and twenty out Of every hundred ma
J chine divers succumbed 10 paralysis. Then
| a remedy was found so simple that only
] divers who use 10 can realize It's effective
ness. Except in cases that terminate IA
! tally. divers hold that the recovery is
| wonderful Often when the man is drawn
| 60 the surface the suit Is 50 compressed
| by the power OF the water that IL is "a