Southern tip of Block Island - Sandy Point, Block Island, Rhode Island
A ghost ship returns to haunt the islanders for a cruel and heartless deed that happened in the 18th century.
Southern tip of Block Island - Sandy Point, Block Island, Rhode Island
Setting off from what would later become Germany, a ship, often referred to as 'Palatine', seemed to be cursed from the start of its voyage.
The ship was constantly bombarded by winter storms, the food on board had spoiled, and the aging ship was falling apart.
On December 27, 1738 the Palatine had finally made its way across the Atlantic. However, the crew of the Palatine were about to experience the worst of their troubled voyage.
The islanders of Block Island had experienced a bad season of farming, they were starving. Word had come that the Palatine would be traveling near, the villagers developed a plan to run aground and loot the vessel.
As the Palatine approached Block Island the islanders ignited false signal lights. The Palatine ran ashore on rocky surf, the ship was bashed back and forth on the rocks. The islanders continued to launch signal lights which fell onto the ship and set it ablaze. The cold winter night was filled with screams, many passengers of the Palatine jumped to their deaths in the rocky surf rather than be consumed by flames.
The Palatine finally broke apart and the islanders scavenged what they could, only to find the food on board rotten and spoiled. Along with the provisions that washed ashore were corpses, some islanders were horrified to find their relatives who had purchased boarding on the Palatine.
There were few survivors of the Palatine's demise. Among them, however, was Dutch Kattern who claimed she was a witch. She is said to have put a curse on Block Island and that the islanders would suffer the sight of Palatine in flames off it's shore, rather than the idyllic view of the ocean.
It seems her curse has remained through the years. Many islanders now see a bizarre light off the shore of Sandy Point. It resembles a ship on fire, slowly sailing off shore. Others have said that closer to the anniversary of the tragedy that the sounds and sight of the Palatine are much closer to shore.
Others have stated that they have heard the sounds of crying near a sign that simply reads, "Palatine Graves -- 1738."