The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-03
PERILS OF SPONGE DIVING.
ENTSUALLY HEhTY MORTlLITT OF
GREEK FISHERS THIS YEik

spiro Themeli. OF 20 Madison street. q Gree
who has Just returned from Q visit to his oil
home. tho island OF Kaymnos. ono OF tn
Bporades. of the const OF Asia Minor. declare
that tho loss OF life among the sponge diver
has been phenomenal during the past year
and has again reached the figures II did sever
years ago when the Patriarch at Constants
nople. Gregorius. then head Of the Greei
Church. interfered and secured from the Turk
ish Government a mandate forbiddine the us,
OF diving bells or machines" as they arc
known to the sponge fishers.
The average yearly loss OF life among the
sponge fishers in the Mediterranean islapds
reaches on an average 800. This year. In
GLIDING the present season which ends with
Bsptem Der. 1t 10 expected the deaths will foot
up two-thirds as many more. Themeli him
self. was fisher or naked diver for sponges
before he made enough money to como to this
country and become dealer In the product.
He bears on his chest the scars OF the bite OF
the worm which infests sponGes and kills so
many naked divers. Themslis relatives are
all divers or have become rich enough to take
their places In the merchant class in the
sponge trade in the islands.
Among the Greeks in Now York are num-
Der Of ex-sponge Divers and hardly one but
carries sears gained in their dangerous work.
They are all interested In Themeli's report Of
tho klchs Ilohb tue tpOnRo ulVoTb 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 whiclrthe dangers they run Of para
lysis are much greater. to say nothing Of the
possibility Of meeting sharks. devil nshes and
sun fishes or Of cutting or entangling pipes and
ropes In entering the grottos and caves. which
they also do now more frequently
l. 1T.
fishing are Kalymnos. Syme. Chalk, Hydrea,
Angina. Kastellorizo and Spetsai. Some OF them
are 30 small that are not named on any but
purely local maps. Very peculiarly. while one
island may be engaged entirely in sponge fish
ing. that next to 1t may devote itself
Just as exclusively to agriculture Kalym-
nos. the principal island. has a popu-
lation OF 10000 OF whom about one
quarter are engaged in the sponge fishing
There are fifty diving machines owned In this
island and 300 boats Of plain divers. Hydrea,
the first sponge market in the Mediterranea
has population Of 1900. nearly one-half Of
which is engaged in the sponge fisheries.
Owing to their having 120 diving machines
about $1,000. or half the sponge production Of
these Islands. comes from Hydrea
Tho season begins" said Themeli, latter
the Easter feasts. In every island q ceremony
is held for the sponge fishers. In Kalymnos a
great feast takes place. After the fishers have
all taken holy communion at the metropolitan
Church OF the Holy Virgin. a procession is
formed and marches TO the sponge fleet. Tho
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 dragging and by har-
pooning. The last can only be used in shall
low water and is little employed Many of
the machines are owned by merchants.
Others are owned and worked in shares by
divers or bv company OF mon who man
the two kaiques which accompany each ma
chine. All have their duties. II they are not
divers. they attend to cleaning and preparing
the sponges. Young boys go along as oarsmen.
and the height Of the am btion OF the island
boys is to be permitted to joinlthe divers. Few
OF them begin actual work. owover. until they
are over 20 years old. Then II they have luck
and escape all tho dangers OF the sea, they may
dive for twenty-five years.
rev last long as divers, and whom
the fleet goes out tho women are very sad,
for they know only too well that from
nearly every boat some one will be miss
Ing when the kaiques come back. Some Of
the boats make their first stopping place |
not far from home. but travel several thou |
sand miles before the end OF the season. |
Others head at once for Rhodes or for the |
coast OF Africa. near Bengasi. which Is favor |
Ito place. although the sharks are particularly
numerous there and every danger seems
greater. With each diving machine are two |
kaiques. one intended for storehouse for tho |
harvest The boats are provisioned for the |
the divers,
A.. Besides the danger Of sharks there is always
the dread paralysis the special enemy Of tho |
machine diver. The inventor OF the machines
guarantees them for use in water up to sxteen |
seems to be almost exhausted. the boats now
70 whese,the water Is almost twice that depth.
almost IKE suicide Yet tn" s' profits 70 see aPs
nshers call the distance from fngcr-tips Of
The danger from sharks or devil asbes ia
pots rot so great. for machine divers carry big
rock: lighting until they have Killed ofEa such 80
Sespon hss sepb the
seends to find desirable sponges the air.
Eh met six men at the pumps able to supply
can withstand the pressure OF the water. The
diving suit squsezes the legs and body fright
hs sssebss
the surface tiT and is exposed to the air.
was Known except T%bons o snd sw s9in
out OF every hundred machine divers sue.
yum you w paralysis. Ihen q remedy was |
found. so sim DIE that only divers who use Il
can realize Its effectiveness. Except in cases
that terminate fatally. divers hold that the
recovery is wonderful. Often when the man iS
drawn to the surface the suit Is 30 Compressed
TO release the body. 1t is said that in some
eases the grip Of the suit has been 80 frightful
that flesh has been detached in the folds into
which the pressure OF the water forces the |
quit. However that may DO. and Themeii says
he has known 1t himself, as soon As the diyeris
released els four men begin pouring buckets OF
is continued for thirty or forty hours In spite
begins to feel anything. 10 chilled by the con-
tinual streams Of salt water. This treatment
Is continued until he falls asleep. when a. he
tors relax their Efforts. "
peculiar feature Is that while divers who
are only lightly struck by paralysis NAV be |
unable to walk on land, when once placed in |
the SUIT and in tha water they find the mower |
70 move returns and are able to carry on work
tlnually when out Of the water. and the Greek
w1rd used for the disease SiEninsS that their
Grlp OF the sea. 30 many such cases occurred
mat q Few years ago the Patrlarchate at Com
etantinope prevailed upon the Porte to forbid
the use OF the machines. When the order had No
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