Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1900-12-25
ANOTHER VISIT TO BLOCK ISLAND.

| ANOVnEH vlStV 10 okOCN tSlANOs
Editor Democrot:
We wonder II you and the readers Of
your paper can stand one more visit 70
Block Island, at . very different time, lt
being back In 1897
The letter Of your correspondence, Miss
Alice Hammond, published last week,
brings to mind many Of the places visit
ed. The description she givoe OF the
island beiug series Of hills ID 90, there
being only four acres Of level land In
one field upon the whole island.
The best view of the place can be OBJ
tained from the observatory upon Bca-
con Hill, the highest point on the islaud.
At the north 10 the Rhode Island shore |;
following around In the bend ID Aatu-
muck; Point Judith, viii its harbor Of
refuge; 10 the dim distance Newport; !;
around the south side Of the island.
Guilty Hunk; and on the west Montaak
Point. With the large telescope always
there, many distant places can be
brought 70 view-Watch Hill, Fishers
Island, MarthA's Vineyard, Beaver Tall,
Narragansett Pier.
Beacon Hill Was the scene In the early
history of the island, Of many Wild
time, It being the place where the
wreckers, who infested the island, were
wont to build their signal 6rcs TO lure
ships to destruction. Many s the
night we have sat with the old fishermen
listening to their weird tales.
One particular tale was the loss OF the
Palatine, which WAS decoyed upon the
rocks. As the story was told me, the
Palatine WAS at nighfall seen 10 the
ofline, and the signal ire Was lighted
upon the hill. About midnight the ship
struck just south Of where the present
life saving station is on the west shore.
Ii WAS boarded by the wreckers, and
while some weee helping the sailors,
others were searching tho vessel's bold,
and by some means set the vessel on
fire. The wreckers escaped in their boat,
leaving the crew aud passengers TO their
fate. In the heavy sea that was running.
the Palatine Was carried along over the
rocks to within . short distance OF the
entrance Of the Harbor OF Refuge, where
he was burned to the waters edge. The
bodies came ashore the next day, some
at Graves Point, near the west side HE
saving station, and were buried there.
Others are buried In the graveyard under
the hill. Il Il said that now in October,
upon certain nights, the signal fires can
be seen upon the Hill, and the Palatine
can be seen oil on Ore drifting along,
with the crew and passengers running
about.
One OF the excursions 10 take while nj
the island is to 20 swordHshing. Very
| few Of the captains OF the smscks will
take = passenger, but the summer |
spent there, the steamer Ocean View, re-
Gently sold 70 Portland parties, had
daily excursions, and IL Was worth the
dollar they charged. At night, after
dark, she could be seen returning, and
when the range light was In line, that
shows the entrance Of the harbor. The
captain would pull the whistle, q long
blast was large catch, short one, u
small. We remember one day OF their
returning with twenty-three, the small
est weighing 270 pounds.
To illustrate how powerful sword
fish Ia, upon the dock where the mall
steamer lands Is . fsh-house, for ssltiug
aud packing msckerel. In the Office
there Il live oak knee OF . vessel With
plankius aud copper upon II, and stick
Ing out beyond the fourteen inches some
three inches Is the point OF . sword,
that Was driven through the whole and
broken of.
The summer that I Was there the old
windmill WAS running, and ] remember
sitting upon the piazza watching those
arms 90 round and round, like some
restless ghost.
IL was my fortune that summer to see
two wrecks while there, one under the
Mohegsn cliffs, the other over on
Montauk Point. The vessel that ran
on the rocks under the cliffs was the
Pocshoutss, loaded with coal, and she
was a total loss. The tide making in
from Long Island Sound and Buzzsrd's
and Nsrragansett Bays, carried her out
OF her course, and wrecked her.
When left the island at the close OF
the season, IL Was by the steamer Block
Islsnd, that visited the island daily from
Norwich and New London, Conn. At
the north end OF the island Was one OF
those bell buoys, and l can think OF
nothing to give one the horrors sooner
than to have to listen to that with lie
Toll. Toll! as II for the dead. At
Watch Hill were two more, with their
constant tolling, never still. l have
always thought would again visit there,
and spend Q summer, but never have,
and II never do, II will be one bright
spot to look back upon.
JAMES B. PECKHAM.