El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-03-30

the inhabitants of the sponge -citv an
opportunity to get plenty of food from
1t as it passes The other canal leads
outward and by the same process the
food-eNhausted water is driven out
again
Sponges are taken commercially in
three ways-by undressed divers, by
men with diving suits, and by hooking
the sponges from the beds in which they
are found. The hooking method has been
used in Florida waters from the begin
ming. In these operations the vessels are
fitted ont by men who own them. and
let on shares to the operating crews,
which usually consist of from six to 10
men. The vessel claims one-third CT the
sPonges taken and the remainder IS di
vided equally among the crew.
An outfit ccnissts OF a boat for every
two men, two or 1(ree sponge hooks, a
marine spy glass, and AN oar for each
boat. The men provision their own
vessel, and then set sail for the sponge
bank Arrived there, they drop anchor,
and the boats are manned. They are
headed into the tide, and one man stands
erect and prCpels the boat with the
single oar The other places his bucket
like spy glass into the water, puts his
head into the top of it, so as 10 cut cut
daylight, and scans the bottom OF the
sponge beds. He is able 10 see through
as much as 80 feet OF water. When he
sees the sponge he wants he drops his
hook into the water, catches his sponge,
and pulls it up.
Boats Land Weekly.
Both men must be experts. To keep
a boat in one position with single oar,
in the face of swift tide and often.
running cross sea, without moving an
inch, is an impossible task save TO the
expert oarsman. Likewise, to recognize
a commercial sponge from others at
depth of several fathoms and so to
allow for the refraction of light and the
DETECTING tendency of the tide as to
hook the desired SPONGE is something no
novice can do.
As soon as the boat is filled with
sponges they 90 back 10 the fishing yes
sci and deposit the catch first on the
deck and afterward in the hold. Sponges
smell bad enough when alive, but when
dead in large quantities on a sponging
vessel they put fertilizer factory into
the class of perfume distilleries by COM
parison.
Each Saturday, without exception, the
sponge ship puts in to land, to place
where a crawl" is maintained. This is
staked off enclosure in shallow water.
where the tide can sweep through. The
inflcwing and outflowing of the tide
serves to wash out the decayed corpses
of the millions of little sponge animals
Treatment of Sponges.
After a week of this treatment, the
sponges are beaten by men in order TO
remove what little animal matter still
remains in them. No clothing can be
worn by the heaters, as thousands of
little spicules inhabit the sponge. and
clothing aids their entrance into the
body.
After being beaten and washed they
are placed upon high. safe ground TO
dry, and when full cargo is secured,
the vessel sails to some sponge market,
and shipped to the markets of the
world.
Divers were unknown in the Florida
waters until the advent of those from
the GrecIan beds. As they can dive deep
er than fishing could be done by crap
ping hooks they are able to work beds
that hitherto thrived undisturbed.
The methods of the divers are ex-
ceedingly interesting and are practically
the same in Grecian waters as they are
off the coast of Florida. Those who dive
without specially constructed suits are
naked. They can go into as much as Is
fathoms of water. They carry with them |
a bag in which to put the sponges they
tear loose from the rocks A rope is tied |
about their waists. and a tug on the |
rope tells those above that it is time |
to haul the diver up
Submarine Spy Glass.
The spOnges are located by sort of |
-l.r-a.~
bucket like affair with lens in the bot