The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1908-07-07
POSSIBILITY FOR
NEW INDUSTRY

Meindanis & Alissandratos suggest
the establishing of new industry for
Hawaii, that of sponge fishing. This
firm is located at Tarpon Springs,
Florida, and, from the following letter,
are interested in the Hawaiian sponge
beds.
The Advertiser has referred FIRE.
quently to the possibilities for sponge
gathering in Hawaiian coast waters,
but so far no one has become interest.
ed enough to gather any fresh speci.
mems of the Hawaiian sponges to zee
of what commercial value they may be.
Numerous samples of spongos picked
up on the sands Of the different IS.
lands have been sent in to the Adver.
tiser, but invariably these were wealth.
er hardened, full of fine sand from
being washed about on the beach, ana
not such as could be submttc1 TO cx.
perts for Judgment. Almost invaria.
bly,, though, they were of good size and
shape, the latter an important CONNER.
cial feature.
The letter sent by the sponge mer.
chants to the Chamber of Commerce is
as follows:
"Tarpon Springs, Fla, May Is, 1908,
"Chamber of Commerce, Honolulu, Ha.
waiian Islands.
"Gentlemen: On the 18th of last
January we wrote a letter to the Hon.
! Postmaster of your city, inquiring about
the sponge beds, those that exist
around the coast of Hawaii Islands; as
we are up to date without any answer
we take the liberty to write to you.
| awe have information that virgin
sponge beds exist around those waters
and nobody is engaged in the bust
ness as they do not know how to get
| them.
GAS our firm is largely interested in
the sponge fishing business, we take the
| liberty to write you, and assure you
that we will be very much obliged tc
| you for any information that you car
give us with regards to the sponge
beds
awe like to know, about what area
do they cover; the species of the
| sponges, and in connection to that we
Hike to say, that specimen of the
sponge of those waters shall enable IL,
better to tell about its merits, by com
parison to the sponges of these waters
"We like to call your attention OF
the following lines.
GAN this wealth that lays dead il
the bottom of the seas belongs by righ
to the cities of that coast. But it cal
not be brought into light and be pur
into circulation unless diving ap
paratus has been employed for that
purpose.
"Eor the operations of hooker ar,
always extended within a very limited
area, first and foremost on account o
the depth. A hooker as rule cal
never reach Il greater depth than tw
or three fathoms, while our divers, a
, it has been many time demonstrated
: in Mediterranean sea during their OF
erations, can reach thirty and fort,
: fathoms depth.
"Should the sponges of those water
: have some commercial value, we fee
pretty sure to tell, that the Inaugural
: ton of the diving apparatus in tn
, sponge business shall open a new field
and be the beginning of great in
dustry.
eve will greatly appreciate any il
|. formation, and any specimen sent t
us. Respectfully yours,
"MEINDANIS & ALISSANDRATOS
The Writer-Ah, laugh at me if yo
will, but l will write of you in my jour
nal that which will make you sick
The Artist-Everything that IN sieu
writes makes me sick.-Life.