42 FISHERIES OF THE COASTAL WATERS OF FLORIDA. 



vicinity of Cedar Keys, while 17 vessels of the fleet are not heard from np to the pres- 

 ent writing. It is supposed that these vessels and their crews have been lost at sea, 

 40 bodies ha viug been washed ashore at Cedar Keys. Under the above ( : ircumstances 

 the owners of vessels and the ship chandlers are feeling very much discouraged, as 

 from their past experience of hurricanes and severe storms they all know that since 

 this last hurricane the undertow of the sea will make the water very muddy at the 

 sponge-grounds of Rock Island and Anclote for a long time to come; and thus it 

 will add to the general difficulties and risks of the business. 



The Rock Island sponge fleet, that had returned to Key West just before the hur- 

 ricane, has again made a broken trip. Only half a dozen vessels brought in from 140 

 to 300 bunches of wool sponges each. The balance of the vessels have not succeeded 

 in securing more than from 40 to 80 bunches of sponges each, which quantity is, as 

 you understand, next to nothing. The trouble is actually that the sponge-grounds 

 on the west coast of Florida are getting bare of sponges in most places, as the fisher" 

 men for several years past have kept pulling up the small-size sponges, and naturally 

 this action has killed the growth and the seeds of the sponges. Besides this, some 

 submarine convulsions are said to have taken place from time to time which uproot 

 the sponges.- Many sponges have been found at times floating loose on the surface, 

 of fairly good sizes, and all rotten. Some of the old sponge fishermen here attribute 

 this to some poisonous waters coming out of some rivers on the west coast. I think 

 the first theory is the more likely cause, but be it as it may sponges are not to be 

 found now on most of the sponge bars on which five or six years ago the vessels could 

 secure a load of fine sponges inside of two or three weeks of good weather and clear 

 water at sea. At present, although the vessels meet very often with good weather 

 and clear water, they can not find sponges in most places where they used to secure 

 rapid and successful crops. 



The December crop is generally the most successful crop of the year, but vessel 

 owners now feel discouraged, and while some of them are preparing their vessels 

 to send them out to the Rock Island sponge-grounds, a large majority of them are 

 not willing to risk the expenses necessary to send out their vessels. They think it 

 is a hopeless case for a successful crop of sponges, and they say that they will save 

 money by leaving their vessels at their anchorage. The situation, therefore, is very 

 gloomy for a good supply of Florida sponges until the month of June, 1897, at which 

 time the vessels may succeed in securing a supply of Rock Island sponges. 



It has rarely happened in recent years that two successful seasons 

 have come together. This was last the case in the winters of 1889-90 

 and 1890-91. According to Mr. E. J. Arapian, one of the principal Key 

 West sponge-dealers, the season from October, 1890, to March, 1891, 

 was the best in the history of the industry, and the crop was the largest 

 ever obtained. Up to 1890 a crop of sheepswool sponges worth $70,000 

 to $100,000 was considered large. In December, 1890, the Key West 

 sponge dealers bought sponges to the value of about $160,000 from ves- 

 sels that had been on the grounds in October, November, and December, 

 and within six weeks the vessels were back at Key West with another 

 trip of sponges, which sold for about $135,000. These sponges were 

 chiefly from the same grounds off Cedar Keys and Apalachicola that had 

 been resorted to the previous season, when the weather was good and 

 the water was clear, and the catch was said to have been larger than for 

 ten years or more. They were of fine quality and were mostly from 

 water 35 to 40 feet deep. This noteworthy catch evidently depended 

 on a growth of sponges in one season and strikingly illustrates their 

 rapid growth under favorable conditions. 



