Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-04-09

, the sponge fishers in connection with
this diving For instance, on one oc-
Casion a young diver found himself
descending to the jaws Of shark.
| with great presence Of mind he al
lowed the stone TO fall into the sharks
mouth. while he skillfully turned round
and assembled 20 the surface.
Today, however the old order Of
things has passed away, as the advent
Of the diving dress has altered every
thing Huge syndicates are now oper-
ating in the fisheries, and an eXtraor-
binary state of affairs extends through
out the industry There is a state Of
corruption in connection with tho
sponge fishery which is not realized
in this country and which ts dis
grace to civilization.
II Is well known that in diving at
great depths the descent must be
gradual In order to allow the body 10
become accustomed to the pressure Of
the water When the diving dress was
introduced, the Greeks found that
whereas a man previously could only
stay in the water for a minute and
a half. ne could now remain for half
an hour.
The owners are unwilling to waste
the time which should be allowed for
the descent when diving is carried on
under proper conditions. Instead, there
fore. of lowering a man fathom
minute they decided to throw him
overheard, allowing him TO sink like
"a log. So general is this disgracetul
state Of affairs that about so per cent
of the sponge divers suffer from paral-
ysis. eventually total paralysis being
their fate ono would imagine that
i'm a civilized country either the gov
eminent would have adopted measures
to prevent this,or that the divers them
selves would have shown themselves
reluctant 10 undertake such a hazard
Gus profession. such, however is not
the case. II should be- mentioned 20
the credit Of the inhdol Turks that
Turkey has forbidden the use OF the
diving dress for sponge fishing.
A few days preceding the departure
of the sponge neet a lamentable spec
taclc is provided The divers, like the
gladiators Of old, are aware that they
may never see their native shores
again SO they go in for course OF
unrestrained debauchery in which they
are encouraged by the huge prepay
ments which are given them as brlbes
for their services.
IL is commonly understood that
diver will receive 5000 drachmas tabout
El0W Cor the summer fishing, LOCO OF
which viii be paid him before he sails
he gathers unto him his boon COM
of drunkenness wakes up with a split
ting headache to find that he Is already
far out at sea- with the prospect -
serving under "a ruffianly master and
never getting the remainder of his pay.
To do the captains Justice, II they
can be said TO deserve such, ! must
admit that they themselves are OPP
pressed by the syndicates, who let out
the diving suits with provisions and
! nets at an exorbitant rate Of interest,
SD that IL is practically impossible for
the man TO secure anything but the
smallest profit If they paid their
mon full wages they would speedily
be ruined.
one may wonder that the men do
not mutiny against ill-trcatment. but
il must be- remembered that the skip
per. or maestro. as they call him, Is
always accompanied on board by a
number OF his cousins or near rela-
tons. who are always we'll armed. ana
so have the whip hand.-Pearsou'
Weekly