Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-08-30
BLOCK ISLANDS PHANTOM.
\ fresh Account of "a Blazing Ship that,
il is said, Appears in the Sound.
N,ir York MIR.

NtIr York SGT.
GLoCX ISLAND, August IL Tt seems to
all depend upon the point Of view, SAID an
intelligent Book Islander, when asked about
the phantom vessel which is said TO appear
occasionally between Block Island and NOyes
Beach. Now, folks from Noyeses declare
it to be the ghost Of slave trader, and tina;
faces sre discernable On the deck. don't
see how that can possibly be, still don't
cay that tbcse GOOD people ever lie under
mistake Other people from other points
have other stories to tell. Yes, | have seen
that light, and it is not an agreeable spec
tacle by any means. One thing is sure,
however, that up to date no one has ever
found any human cause for this brilliant
illumination 1t always appears in the very
came place, and ct first seems like a great
fame, but there is no sign OF smoke. Then
the outline CT a great ship becomes visible,
sometimes only dimly but at other times
she stands out, at least to my eyes, as plain
as that schooner over there. But i have
never seen form or a face on board of her,
and hope rever shall.
Now there is not much doubt that two
ships were surely wrecked OF this coast.
One was wrecked hundred aud thirty years
sgo 1t wss the Palatine from Germany,
losdedsw;th rich emigrants, who were bound
to Pennsylvania 10 settle There are two
stores told Of the wreck OF this vessel One
is that the crew was made up Of set OF
blood-thirsty pirates who from the first
planned 10 rob and destroy the wealthy
travellers aud that when the ship got of
Flock leland, having shut the poor men into
the hold, they set the ship on FIRE and es-
cared with their booty. This idea is said
to have been carried out by the fact that one
woman was washed ashore by the surf and
saved. She was found to be Dutch and in
sane, and che was believed to have been
driven out OF her wits by the disgraceful
occurrences Ct that night The other yarn
is that the Block Islanders, By means Of
false lights, Jared the ship to destruction
and pundsrsd her themselves, But there
is 10 surer way Of making Block Island
man mad than to hint that such o theory
has any foundation.
The other chip that Was wrecked here,
End said also TO have been burned, was q
sa, trader, ard this happened abouttwenty
ASA Now, maybe, some iolkI see the
Tiger ship end Others sec the Palatine, and
rs likely az o. neither OF them is ever seen
! moan by ibis that it is possible there may
b. some scientific explanation Of these phe.
romeps. An English scholar who was here
les, summer--a Mr. Hsvllsnd-asked me
and others very minute questions about
there appearances. He thought that the
light might be accounted for BY phosphorus
cerce. and The ship by imsgJnotiou. Bat
one night he bappene to see it for himself,
and after that be didn have quite so much
to say about the Imagination, although he
allowed that his fancy might have played
him a trick gs we'll IS other men. Another
gentleman Who wss favored with sight OF
this blazing vessel thought that q chip might
have sunk IN this spot, and stro1g phosphor-
escent light have some way''so illumined the
wreck as TO cast ia reflection above the wa
| ter.
The spook theory is q good deal more
simple and tenable TO M mind: 'ec c-5s i
never COW E rpiti', and have no !.i'h in
spiri,usIism. The fact Is. don't think o
nan csn be too ca:etul about saying what
can be done ard seen in this world, and q
man that I'll believe in other tbings, I'm
bound to believe when be says he has seen
something that haven't
Have two p rs,ps ever seen this ship at
TIE same time? asked.
'Yes ThaE sIdozen. Wien it's there it's
there. and everybody can see il who can zee
anything. Il lasts about three minutes.
have seer it four minutes at one time