The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-03-10

Inow just. how or where they are
gathered and that their habitat Is
restricted to a very few prohtaole
fishing districts. Like oysters, sponges
don't travel about of their own accord
and they must be caught where they
grow AS the. demand constantly in
creases and the older fishing areas
are being depleted newly discovered
grounds are OF great Importance ana
are eagerly sought.
A news item in the current number
OF the Monthly Bulletin OF the Fan
American Union, Washington, ID. T.,
states that recently shipment OF
Z. 900 sponges Of a fine grade arrived
att Mobile, Ala, from the coast OF
Ronduras. The fact that this coast
has extensive sponge-hshing posst-
!ojIfties had been either practically
unknown or ignored until a Greek
sponge-fisher from the Mediterranean
sea happened along during the latter
part OF last year. With about three
weeks fishing he gathered enough for
the shipment alluded to, and now Hon
duras is going to add another product
to its other numerous industries.
Sponge-fishing is rather unique
occupation, and the term hshing3 IS
not mach of misnomer. Most o.
them are still caught with hooks not
witnstanding the fact that the i'm
provement in diving apparatus mas
made their gathering easier. They
/ thrive only in the salt water OF the
| sea. and the best known districts are
| in the Mediterranean sea, the Car
/ ifbean sea, the Gulf of hexlco, anu
/ water contiguous to these. Those OF
/ the Mediterranean are the Oldest and
nroduce about half in value, though
/ not in quantity, of the worlds supply.
To persons who know sponges only
az they appear ready for sale and use,
the animal as it. comes from the sea
1 would he unrecognizable. 1t IS
/ solid looking, rather Shiny, heshy
! body, varying in color from lghC-
I gregish} yellow through lanse OF
| browns to black, and IN form eltner
| cup-shaped, spheroidal, or cake
! shaned According to the species, its
age or the environment in which It
1 grew. In general, in appearance ana
! consistency and the manner IN Whlch
! If cu+s with a knife, living Sleeps
wool sUonge is not unlike piece OF
| beef liver, perforated with hoies anu
! canals. The sponge OF the Markets -
merely the skeleton, the suppoFtlnS
/ framework which gives strength and
form to the soft gelatinous tissues Oh
| the living animal.
| Concerning the life histories of com
I mercial sponges but little is known.
7
\ In some species, at least, the sexes
I are separate. the females greatly pre-
/ nonderatinp. and the young are pro-
! duced mainly if not solely from eggs
| The young are, fora time, minute
7 free-swimming organisms whlch may.
! be carried considerable distances Dy
| the currents before they at last settle
| down for a permanent attachment,
usually on natural rocky bars near the
| coast.
The old method of gathering the
sponge was to wade into the swallow
! waters and phil up the growth by
! hand. Later the sponge. hook, TWO
or three tined short hook attached TO
| a long pole, was introduced, ana deep
er water could be fished The nsner-
man in his boat closely scanned the
/ botton IF the water for sponges, tear
| ing them loose and depositing them
| in the boat by means of this hook. TO
overcome the difficulty of seeing the
| bottom because of the ripples on the
! surface of the water, the sponge
/ glass" or water telescope was IN
| troduced about 1870. This Is merely
an ordinary pail with glass Dollolh,.
The device, when placed with its glass
bottom beneath the surface OF the
water does away with the ripp1es and
also oDerates by dispeIling reflection,
| and to heighten its eh1clency the
| hooker usually wears large straw
hat which cuts off large portion OF
the direct light when his head is thrust
/ into the mouth of the bucket. BY TINS
means the bottom may sometimes be
seen in clear water to depth of hfty
feet. Two men are required to eacn
\ boat the hooker and the sculler, ana
H considerable skill is required to pre-
vent mutilation in tearing up the
sponges. In 1895 the Mediterranean
method of sponging with diving APP
naratus was introduced and used sue
n cessfulIy in American waters, and now
many of the Greek type of boats.
h equipped with gasoline engines. are
| being used and the yield per man mas
\ s,raat1v increased. American sponge
ssberies now produce about 100000
bounds annually, valued at something
\ over si,5OO,0O0.