Rensselaer Republican, Volume 17, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 September 1884 — The Way Sponges Are Taken on the Florida Coast. [ARTICLE]

The Way Sponges Are Taken on the Florida Coast.

The vessels engaged in this business vary in size from five to sixty tons. These vessels are supplied with small boats or “dinkies,” one boat>4o every two men. There is one man extra who cooks for the crew and takes charge of the vessel while the small boats are sponging. The outfit of a small boat consists of a sponge-hook attached to the end of a long pole, water glass (this is a wooden bucket with the bottom removed and a glass inserted in its place), sculling oar, etc. One man takes charge of the sculling oar, and propels the boat, while the other in the bow of the boat, with his breast lying over the gunwale a little to one side, looks through the water-glass with his head in the bucket, which floats upon the surface of the water. The water beneath the glass is calm, and objects are magnified so that one can see distinctly objects upon the bottom of the water six or eight fathoms deep, and over an area that will cover a quarter of an acre at one view. The sponges are usually attached to rocks upon the bottom. When the man looking through the glass sees one, he plunges the pole with the hook attached to the bottom, fasten sit to the sponge, tears it loose raises it to the surface and places it in the boat. If, after being severed from the bottom, it is dropped from the hook before it reaches the surface of the water, it floats for a time. Each sponge is enveloped in a thin, dirty looking membrane, and the sponge itself is full of animal life, jelly-like in appearance. These are placed upon the decks of the larger boats until a sufficient quantity is obtained, then they are placed in pens or kraals made in shallow water. Here they remain from four to ten days according to temperature, preparatory to the cleansing process, which is accomplished by thoroughly beating the sponge with a club, and afterward carefully washing all —by this time—the filth out of them. They are afterward strung into bunches, averaging about one and a half pounds. They are put upon the market in this condition. Key West buy s about eight-ten ths of all that are taken in the Florida waters. They usually bring about $1.50 a pound. There are supposed to be about 300 sail engaged in this business upon the various sponge-bars in Florida waters.