A replacement keeper for Joseph Moore fell to his death, and another keeper lost his mind. After docking in Leith, the captain conveyed the irregularity to port authorities, and they noted the incident. A further 3,526 was spent on the shore station at Breasclete on the Isle of Lewis. Donald Jack, the second Assistant Storekeeper was also despatched to Flannan Islands, the intention being that these two men, along with Joseph Moore, the third Assistant at Flannan Islands, who was ashore when the accident took place, should do duty pending permanent arrangements being made. While were at it, lets throw aliens in the mix too. God is over all. Why had none of the bodies been washed ashore if they had been washed out to sea? It was a worldwide phenomenon during Prehistoric times for people to bury their dead under mounds (which are also known as tumuli ). The light is now produced by burning acetylene gas and has a range of 17 nautical miles; 20 miles (32 km). And if you were a lighthouse keeper a hundred years ago it was basically the equivalent of holding down a fort. Many theories have been made about this incident of three lighthouse keepers vanishing into thin air, but no one could have ever concluded the mysterious disappearance with 100% accuracy. The iron railings round the crane platform and from the terminus of the tramway to the concrete steps up from the West landing were displaced and twisted. From the December Return, I saw that the Tower itself was not seen, even with the assistance of a powerful telescope, between the 7th and the 29th December. See the original lens that stood on top of the lighthouse from 1858-1933. Keepers worked full-time and had to maintain lenses and lamps, repair equipment, replenish the oil, prepare landings for ships, and assist in rescues. Forget it. Grey daylight. James Ferrier, Principal Keeper was sent from Stornoway Lighthouse to Tiumpan Head Lighthouse and John Milne, Principal Keeper at Tiumpan Head was sent to take temporary charge at Flannan Islands. The mooring ropes, landing ropes, derrick landing ropes and crane handles, and also a wooden box in which they were kept and which was secured in a crevice in the rocks 70 feet up the tramway from its terminus, and about 40 feet higher than the crane platform, or 110 feet in all above the sea level, had been washed away, and the ropes were strewn in the crevices of the rocks near the crane platform and entangled among the crane legs, but they were all coiled up, no single coil being found unfastened. Eilean Paper. Landing steps on the southwest corner of Eilean Mor, Scotland. Storm still raging. Wickies: The Vanishing Men of Eilean Mor. In 1925, the lighthouse was one of the first Scottish lighthouses to receive communications from the shore by wireless telegraphy. He with some of the men came up second time, so as to make sure, but unfortunately the first impression was only too true. MacArthur was said to have a volatile temper. It was early morning on December 26, 1900 when the ship Hesperus broke through the Atlantic, slicing through frigid sea air. The ancient Scottish Clan Buchannan has been without a leader since the 17th century. There is also the question of if the two men would have chosen to leave their families. Sure enough, when he entered the mess hall, he was shocked at the sight before him. Believe it or not, the lighthouse at the time of the disappearance was recently constructed. Others posited that a passing ship might have abducted them. Even the flagstaff was bare. Three experienced lighthouse men, praying? The first record that something was not right on the island was on December 15-16, 1900, when the steamer SS Archtor, on a voyage from Philadelphia to Leith in Scotland, noted in its log that the light was not working in poor weather conditions. On 28 September 1971, the lighthouse was automated. It burnt twenty barrels of paraffin a year and these had to be carried up steep gradients from the landing places using a cable-hauled railway. That is, except for the lighthouse log. This isolated scene was the stage for one of the United Kingdoms most notorious disappearances. I have considered and discussed the possibility of the men being blown away by the wind, but, as the wind was westerly, I am of the opinion, notwithstanding its great force, that the more probably explanation is that they have been washed away as, had the wind caught them, it would, from its direction, have blown then up the Island and I feel certain that they would have managed to throw themselves down before they had reached the summit or brow of the Island. Sorry for all you Light Between Two Oceans fans, but its not all ocean gazing and quality alone time. I have left Moore, MacDonald, Buoymaster and two Seamen on the island to keep the light burning until you make other arrangements. Despite its modest size, visitors were terrified and refused to stay the night. They found that everything was intact at the east landing but the west landing provided evidence of damage caused by recent storms. by Ben Johnson On the 26th December 1900, a small ship was making its way to the Flannan Islands in the remote Outer Hebrides. The Setting: The Lighthouse and Island of Eilean Mor They theorized that McArthur might have done something sinister. He had last seen the keepers on December 7, when he travelled out for a routine check on his employees. There is a mix of accounts as to what Moore found at the top of the cliffs. Some came up with possible logical explanations, such as drowning (too bad lighthouse keeper Ida Lewis wasnt around or thered be no mystery at all). For me and many others including lighthouse keepers themselves, there is no mystery and never has been. What is the origin of the legend of the Christed Son who was born of a virgin on December 25th? In 1920, an American magazine published the following as the final entries: Dec. 12: Gale, north by north-west. It is now monitored from the Butt of Lewis and the shore station has been converted into apartments. Marshall wrote: Severe winds, the likes of which I have never seen before in twenty years. It was enough to startle the men into prayer. about Why is the 13th Century Kelburn Castle covered in Colorful Graffiti? His investigation of the lighthouse found nothing over and above what Moore had already reported. Muirhead noted that the landing platform on the western side of the island had suffered severe storm damage, with twisted iron railings and a block of stone, estimated to weigh a ton, displaced onto the path. Fascinating - thank you! Steeped in fantastical tales of hauntings, Eilean Mor (meaning Big Isle) is the largest of the Flannan islands, despite its modest size of 17.5 acres (7.1 hectares). Before turning to the hypotheses on what may have caused the disappearance of the three men, some of the facts discovered in the search for the lighthouse keepers should be noted. I have repeated this wire to Muirhead in case you are not at home. Apart from its wickies, the remote island was uninhabited. The official cause of disappearance was a storm or powerful wave that swept them out to sea. To this day, a concrete explanation for the strange event remains elusive. On December 26, 1900, Captain Jim Harvie was supposed to be bringing relief to the lighthouse in the form of the fourth attendant, Joseph Moore. It is interesting to note that the keepers also supposedly skipped the entries for December 14 in these entries. The light was, however, seen on 7th December, but was not seen on the 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th. Once again, something strange had occurred on the Flannan Isles. When the two men reached Eilean Mor, one man, Joseph Moore, went up to check the lighthouse for the three missing men. No one keeps the lighthouse anymore; it's been fully automated since 1971. and a large body of watercoming down upon them had swept them away with resistless force.. I visited Flannan Islands when the relief was made so lately as 7th December, and have the melancholy recollection that I was the last person to shake hands with them and bid then adieu. Wind steady. For centuries shepherds used to bring over sheep to the island to graze, but would never stay the night, fearful of the spirits believed to haunt it. When at Flannan Islands so lately as 7th December last, I had a conversation with the late Mr Ducat regarding the signals, and he stated that he wished it would be necessary to hoist one of the signals, just to ascertain how soon it would be seen ashore and how soon it would be acted upon. However, rough winds causing a storm were never reported. He also noticed that James Ducat, the Principal Keeper, had been very quiet and that the third assistant, William McArthur, had been crying. Even now, the mystery of the lighthouse keepers disappearance remains just that, a mystery. The clocks were stopped and other signs indicated that the accident must have happened about a week ago. Because of its reputation andthe superstition surrounding it, rituals such as circling the church on your knees were adopted by the locals. Macarthur praying. Apocalyptic Apocrypha: What was Removed from the Bible - and Why? McArthur was an Occasional Keeper, who was on duty in place of a regular member of staff, William Ross, who was on sick leave. It wasnt until 1994 that archaeologist Jean-Yves Empereur, founder of the Centre of Alexandrian Studies, excavated the ruins masonry blocks of what was once the Lighthouse of Alexandria and with it, statues of Ptolemy I Soter and his wife, Arsinoe. One of the islands, Eilean Mor, was the setting of a great historical mystery - the disappearance of three lighthouse keepers in 1900. Its not difficult to imagine how scary the nights that followed were for him, alone in the light room, listening to the wind howling all around as the revolving lamp cast shadows. pulled in slowly. The Mystery of Scotlands Flannan Isles Lighthouse. Sculptures, carvings & artwork inspired by a love of history & nature: www.justbod.co.uk. What some werent ready to accept was a post at Flannan Isles Lighthouse on Eilean Mr. She had an incredible impact on both Scottish and English history, and her life was one of tragedy, romance, and drama. They were sure of this as the lighthouse could be seen from the nearby Isle of Lewis, and any bad weather would have obscured it from view. Their task was to keep the light always He was away from home, but I found his two sons, ages about 16 and 18 two most intelligent lads of the gamekeeper class, and who actually performed the duty of looking out for signals and had a conversation with them on the matter, and I also examined the Return Book. Me, Ducat, and Macarthur prayed. The Outer Hebrides island chain off the western coast of Scotland is one of the most remote locations in the world, bedrock formed of ancient metamorphic rock home to the Carloway Broch, and Loch Ness and its famous monster. Scholars believe the structure was built around 280 BC and stood in the harbor of Alexandria at 350 ft. tall. From December 12 to 15, one of the keepers (probably Marshall) supposedly wrote about strong winds, and about Ducat and McArthurs fragile state of mind. All should have been calm up until December 17.. https://locationsunknown.podbean.com/e/ep-21-eilean-mor-lighthouse-keepers-scotland/, https://www.nlb.org.uk/history/flannan-isles/, https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofScotland/The-Eilean-Mor-Lighthouse-Mystery/, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flannan_Isles_Lighthouse, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6922197/New-film-attempts-answer-caused-three-lighthouse-keepers-vanish-night.html, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-47732497, Tagged: Eilean Mor Light House Keepers mystery, Eilean Mor Light House Keepers disappearance, Flannan Isles Lighthouse mystery, Flannan Isles Lighthouse disappearances, captain james harvey eilean mor, Joseph Moore eilean mor, Breasclete eilean mor mystery, James Ducat eilean mor, William MacArthur eilean mor, Thomas Marshall eilean mor, The Vanishing 2019 Gerard Butler Peter Mullan, The strange mystery of the Somerton Man (Tamm Shud case), The strange disappearance of the Eilean Mor Lighthouse Keepers, Eilean Mor Light House Keepers disappearance, The Vanishing 2019 Gerard Butler Peter Mullan, The Great Mull Air Mystery - The death of Peter Gibbs on the Isle of Mull in Scotland, The story of Sir John Franklin's lost Northwest Passage expedition and the ghostly predictions of Weesy Coppin, The terrible events of the Batavia Shipwreck on Murder Island, The mysterious case of Netta Fornario on the Scottish Island of Iona, The mysterious disappearance of the Sarah Joe and its five man crew, The mysterious deaths of the Korovina group on Mount Tritrans, The strange disappearance of Jim Carter in Ape Canyon. I will remain at the telegraph office tonight until it closes, if you wish to wire me. The Mysterious Man from Taured Evidence for a Parallel Universe? http://www.transceltic.com/scottish/mystery-of-scotland-s-flannan-isles-lighthouse, Merritt, M. (2014). The men left on the Island made a thorough search, in the first place, of the Station and found that the last entry on the slate had been made by Mr Ducat, the Principal Keeper on the morning of Saturday, 15 December. After he examined the ropes he asserted that it was evident that the force of the sea pouring through the railings had, even at this great height (33.5 m/110 ft. above sea level), torn the life buoy off the rope. Muirhead saw that the mornings work on the lamp had been completed, but it had not been lit after that. Attribution: Marc Calhoun under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. Subsequent investigations showed that lighthouse itself was not seen, even with the assistance of a powerful telescope, between the 7th and the 29th December. The men scoured every part of the island for clues as to the fate of the keepers. The iron railings along the passage connecting railway with footpath to landing and started from their foundation and broken in several places, also railing round crane, and handrail for making mooring rope fast for boat, is entirely carried away. Right before the three men disappeared, they left a message. On the Thursday and Friday the men made a thorough search over and round the island and I went over the ground with them on Saturday. This had a somewhat shorter working life than the railway, becoming redundant when the helipad was constructed for helicopter transport. The final log entry was made on the 15th December. Centuries ago, shepherds who used to live on neighboring islands brought their sheep to graze during the day but hurried back home before dark. Meet the Quinotaur. Theories about their disappearance have ranged from foreign invaders capturing the men, all the way through to alien abductions! Mysterious Cases of Living Fossils, Suspended Animation, and Hibernation. Their. Moore rowed ashore and took the steep stairs that led up to the lighthouse. Ancient Origins 2013 - 2022Disclaimer- Terms of Publication - Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising Policy -Submissions - We Give Back - Contact us. They then returned to the ship and informed Captain Harvie who told Moore he would have to return to the Island to keep the light going pending instructions, and called for volunteers from his crew to assist in this. The film was directed by Kristoffer Nyholm, best known for the Scandinavian drama, The Killing. In the living quarters, food was laid out on the kitchen table, the fireplace was unused, beds were made up, and the clocks had wound down. Donald McArthur has his wearing coat left behind him which shows, as far as I know, that he went out in shirt sleeves. Mary I of Scotland, or Mary, Queen of Scots is one of the most iconic monarchs in British history. Did all three leave the lighthouse? Perhaps the crew werent aware of their arrival, which was understandable considering they were late. Until then, they relied on open lit torches. You order from a catalog and your food and medical supply would be delivered. Fired a rocket but, as no response was made, managed to land Moore, who went up to the Station but found no Keepers there. He never used any other coat on previous occasions, only the one I am referring to. The island of Eilean Mor, with the lighthouse in the background. Why had one of the men left the lighthouse without taking his coat? The lighthouse was manned and operated by three men: Principal Keeper James Ducat, 43, Thomas Marshall, 40, and Donald William McArthur, 28. And if you were a keeper 100 years ago (even today), there was seldom electricity and plumbing..yeah, not really a thing. Since then, the lighthouse has seldom changed. The storm must indeed have been dreadful for these seasoned men. On West side it is somewhat different. It has a plaque with the three names of the missing men and a sculpture of what The Courier describes as a bronze wave sweeping over a sandstone lighthouse sitting on a Lewisian gneiss boulder.. The vajra is the most important ritual implement of Vajrayana Buddhism. Furthermore, why had all three lighthouse staff left their posts at the same time, when rules and regulations strictly prohibited it? It was an isolating experience, and keepers did not see their families for most of the year. Perhaps the crate had been dislodged and knocked down, and the lighthouse keepers were attempting to retrieve them when an unexpected wave came and washed them out to sea? The light was out, forcing the captain to divert the vessel. Homers Iliad Casts Doubt on the Aegean Location of Troy, 10 Shocking Facts about the Ancient Romans, Lost Peruvian Huaca Pintada and its 1,000-Year-Old Mural Rediscovered, The mysterious prehistoric geoglyph of the Paracas Candelabra, Mother and Child Reunion Of Thetis And Achilles, Seductive Sirens of Greek Mythology and How Heroes Resisted Them, Celestial Goddess Selene: The Ancient Greek Goddess of the Moon, Pegasus of Greek Mythology: Majestic Winged Horse of Mount Olympus, Dreams of Human-Powered Flight: Daedalus and the Story of Icarus, The Beautiful Casket that Killed Mary, Queen of Scots. Missing lighthouse keepers remembered after 100 years. Even the flagstaff was bare. The captain ordered Moore to return to light the lamp. Initially called Keepers and now known as The Vanishing , the film has received high praise at the Cannes film festival. We seek to retell the story of our beginnings. The Lighthouse Opera Company Presents "A Distant Flute!" At Lighthouse Opera Company, we seek to bring in new and diverse audiences from the Bronx and beyond to our opera productions. Storm ended. A rogue or freak wave, is one of the more popular modern hypotheses to explain the missing men. Upon further investigation, lighthouse keeper Moore noticed that two out of the three oil coats were missing from their pegs at the entrance. Strange disappearance or not, the lighthouse needed to operate. I have the melancholy recollection that I was the last person to shake hands with them and bid them adieu, he wrote. By bringing together top experts and authors, this archaeology website explores lost civilizations, examines sacred writings, tours ancient places, investigates ancient discoveries and questions mysterious happenings. Until other accommodations could be made, Harvey left behind the replacement keepers until everything was sorted out. On the 26th December 1900, a small ship was making its way to the Flannan Islands in the remote Outer Hebrides. And if you want a book? Sea calm. True: There isnt any other explanation. No-one was found. Well, that rubs away the exciting theory of fairies taking away the seafarers. What if it were really the fairy folk? It was said, there was a definite presence of an aura, that undeniably shrouded the island. His investigation of the lighthouse found nothing over and above what Moore had already reported. He has been investigating the disappearances on the Flannan Isles and has come to a conclusion. Source: CC BY SA 2.0, Dash, M. (2014). He based his claim on the stopped clocks and a great storm that took place all over the western coast on that date. MessageToEagle.com - On December 26, 1900, something strange and unexplained happened on the largest of the Flannan Islands, Eilean Mor, Scotland. 7 Legendary Cryptids that Turned Out to Be Real! The superstitious tales of Eilean Mor involve beings such as giant birds and little men, as well as the haunting the St. Flannan and his flock. The stories were enough to keep shepherds (not to mention most other people), from spending the night there. However, some have claimed these entries are just a sensationalist hoax. In December of 1900, the three lighthouse keepers stationed at a lighthouse on the uninhabited Scottish island of Eilean Mor disappeared without a trace. When you hear the Lighthouse of Alexandria, you probably think the seven wonders of the world, ancient Roman emperors, and conquest. Why had one of the men left the lighthouse without taking his coat, especially since this was December in the Outer Hebridies? Dread washed over him; something just didnt feel right. The Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB) investigated the disappearance and reported that A dreadful accident has happened at FlannansNo sign of life was to be seen on the IslandPoor fellows, they must have been blown away. On the 26th December 1900, a small ship was making its way to the Flannan Islands in the remote Outer Hebrides. 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