eilean mor lighthouse disappearances

He built a chapel on the island and 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 that remote spot. I have repeated this wire to Muirhead in case you are not at home. If they did fall into the ocean during the storm, their bodies could have ended up inside the cave, which is why they never washed up anywhere. In 1920, an American magazine published the following as the final entries: Dec. 12: Gale, north by north-west. Why, yes devoted readers, were glad you caught wind of that. More in line with the swept away theory is the idea of a powerful rogue wave battering the cliffs edge and taking the keepers out to sea. Upon entering the unlocked lighthouse, he immediately knew that something was wrong. Harvey sent out a search party, but as the day drew to a close, no one could find the missing attendants or any sign of their whereabouts. The clock on the wall was stopped. The light is now produced by burning acetylene gas and has a range of 17 nautical miles; 20 miles (32 km). 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. Although uninhabited, the island has always sparked peoples interest. The case of a missing New York City mother turned into a murder investigation after police identified a body found over the summer as Rachel Lopez. An Eilean Mr lighthouse keeper in the 1950s named Walter Aldebert conducted his own investigation by photographing waves crashing against the cliff. Scholars believe the structure was built around 280 BC and stood in the harbor of Alexandria at 350 ft. tall. Visitors who ventured there engaged in strange rituals to protect themselves. Mr McCormack and myself proceeded to the lightroom where everything was in proper order. When you hear the Lighthouse of Alexandria, you probably think the seven wonders of the world. The ordered lighthouse can support the first but not the second idea here. In conclusion, I would desire to record my deep regret at such a disaster occurring to Keepers in this Service. One of them you may know well the Lighthouse of Alexandria. It was built over the bones of one of the Twelve Labors of Hercules, a giant named Gerylon. Thegoal of Ancient Origins is to highlight recent archaeological discoveries, peer-reviewed academic research and evidence, as well as offering alternative viewpoints and explanations of science, archaeology, mythology, religion and history around the globe. (2005). They fired flares and blew whistles, but got no response. He felt his palms grow sticky and clammy with sweat and his breathing escalated. This was the first and most likely theory, and as such Muirhead included it in his official report to the Northern Lighthouse Board. Numerous ships had foundered on their jagged coastlines, which are often hidden by dense fog. Our open community is dedicated to digging into the origins of our species on planet earth, and question wherever the discoveries might take us. It was early morning on December 26, 1900 when the ship Hesperus broke through the Atlantic, slicing through frigid sea air. 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. Read about the life of Robert Stevenson, the man who lit up Scotland with his lighthouses. It is now monitored from the Butt of Lewis and the shore station has been converted into apartments. (n.d.). On 28 September 1971, the lighthouse was automated. Their disappearance wasnt supernatural. Very much like the lyrics of the famous Mary I of Scotland, or Mary, Queen of Scots is one of the most iconic monarchs in British history. Apart from the Mary Celeste, the mens disappearance was in fact strange. A kitchen chair lay on its side, and the only sign of life was the keepers canary, half-starving on its perch. 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. They had to continuously tend to the lighthouse in full uniform which included: blue pants, vest, suit, jacket, and hat. Why had three experienced lighthouse keepers been taken unaware by a freak wave? This was powered by a small steam engine in a shed, next to the lighthouse. I have left Moore, MacDonald, Buoymaster and two Seamen on the island to keep the light burning until you make other arrangements. They firmly believed that it was cursed. (Sorry, alien lovers.). Others believed they were taken by supernatural forces living on the island and were spirited away to the other world. Well, we cant rule it out. He concluded that the men must have gone to repair the damage and been swept away by a wave. The story of Helen Duncan spiritualist, medium and the last person in Britain to be tried and sentenced under the 1735 Witchcraft Act. Captain James Harvey was in charge of the ship which was also carrying Jospeph Moore, a replacement lifehouse keeper. To this day, a concrete explanation for the strange event remains elusive. The Eilean Mor Island has an eerie history that stems back to the 7th century. Joseph Moore then rowed ashore and ascended up the steep set of stairs that led up to the lighthouse. The crane originally erected on this platform was washed away during last winter, and the crane put up this summer was found to be unharmed, the jib lowered and secured to the rock, and the canvas covering the wire rope on the barrel securely lashed round it, and there was no evidence that the men had been doing anything at the crane. While the NLB did not suspect foul play, curious minds felt that the behaviors were very out of character. Even the flagstaff was bare. http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofScotland/The-Eilean-Mor-Lighthouse-Mystery/, MacQueen, D. (2013). The mysterious disappearance of the Eilean Mor lighthouse keepers. This was his preferred theory to explain the disappearances and he stated this in his official report to the Northern Lighthouse Board. Showing a bull, pelicans and script from a bygone alphabet, cross-slab was created by the ancient painted A one-of-a-kind golden sword pommel was discovered by a metal detectorist in Scotland in 2019. Even now, the mystery of the lighthouse keepers disappearance remains just that, a mystery. A lifebuoy was also missing from the landing and the railway tracks used to shuttle supplies to the landing were torn from the ground. It was completed in 1899, mere months before the lighthouse keepers disappeared. All of the materials used had to be moved up the 45-metre (148 ft) cliffs directly from supply boats. Donald McArthur has his wearing coat left behind him which shows, as far as I know, that he went out in shirt sleeves. Another hypothesis states that the men simply choose to seek greener pastures or perhaps adventure as they hopped on a passing boat, taking them far from the harsh winter climate of the island. Strange disappearance or not, the lighthouse needed to operate. Flannan Isles Lighthouse is a lighthouse near the highest point on Eilean Mr, one of the Flannan Isles in the Outer Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland. The Commissioners appointed Roderick MacKenzie, Gamekeeper, Uig, near Meavaig, to look out daily for signals that might be shown from the Rock, and to note each night whether the light was seen or not seen. But thats all superficial compared to the real job at hand. He sent a wireless to the Cosmopolitan Line Steamers (CLS) headquarters to report the outage but, as Lighthouse Digest reports CLS failed to notify the Northern Lighthouse Board because other more pressing matters caused it to escape from memory.. The location of the Eilean Mor lighthouse. However, rough winds causing a storm were never reported. 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. He called again, but was once again greeted with inhuman silence and the crying of gulls. There was a definite presence: An aura that undeniably shrouded the island. 7 Legendary Cryptids that Turned Out to Be Real! The Curious Disappearance of the Eilean Mor Lighthouse Keepers - A . One of those islands is Eilean Mor, an island that was one of seven islets known to locals as the Seven Hunters, just northwest of Scotland. If this nervousness does not leave Moore, he will require to be transferred, but I am reluctant to recommend this, as I would desire to have one man at least who knows the work of the Station. However, many accepted this sacrifice as a way of life. The lighthouse was manned and operated by three men: Principal Keeper James Ducat, 43, Thomas Marshall, 40, and Donald William McArthur, 28. And while some people may seem content with the story as it stands, our view is that there existcountless mysteries, scientific anomalies and surprising artifacts thathave yet to be discovered and explained. Everything at the East landing place was in order and the ropes which had been coiled and stored there on the completion of the relief on 7 December were all in their places and the lighthouse buildings and everything at the Stations was in order. Something wasnt right. His investigation of the lighthouse found nothing over and above what Moore had already reported. http://www.lighthousedigest.com/Digest/StoryPage.cfm?StoryKey=2267, Jack, A. Why would he be crying about a storm? It is now monitored from the Butt of Lewis and the shore station has been converted into apartments. ( CC BY SA 2.0 ). What was meant by God is over all? He based his claim on the stopped clocks and a great storm that took place all over the western coast on that date. Although uninhabited, the island has always sparked people's interest. One of the islands, Eilean Mor, was the setting of a great historical mystery - the disappearance of three lighthouse keepers in 1900. That is, except for the lighthouses log. Neglecting to do so would also put a keepers job at risk. In his report of the events, Moore stated that he noted that the kitchen door was the only one he could open to enter the lighthouse, the outside gate was closed, the fire had not been lit for some days, and everything within the lighthouse was in proper order., When he searched the island with the volunteers they noted that on the western landing there had been storm damage at some point: The iron railings of the trolley tramway had started from their foundations and broken in several places and the box containing the mooring ropes had vanished, despite having been firmly wedged into a crevice and then anchored.. 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. On the 26th December 1900, a small ship was making its way to the Flannan Islands in the remote Outer Hebridies. Principal photography on the film began in mid-April 2017. Or maybe it was just good old-fashioned homicide? For some, its height doesnt seem impressive. Eilean Mr, the largest of the islands, has been shrouded in myth and superstition. Why is the 13th Century Kelburn Castle covered in Colorful Graffiti? It was with deep regret I wish you to learn the very sad affair that has taken place here during the past fortnight; namely the disappearance of my two fellow lightkeepers Mr Ducat and Mr Marshall, together with the Occasional Keeper, Donald McArthur from off this Island. Eilean Mr is named after Flannn mac Toirrdelbaig, who was an Irish saint who lived in the 7th century and was the son of an Irish chieftain, Turlough of Thomond. 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. Bringing people to and from the mainland to the Eilean Mor wasnt new for the captain. Then, two things happened: either Chaos or Gaia created the universe as we know it, or Ouranos and Tethys gave birth to the first beings. James Ducat, the experienced head keeper of the lighthouse, had the same reservations. Construction occurred between 1895 and 1899 by George Lawson of Rutherglen, at a cost of 1,899 inclusive of the building of the landing places, stairs and railway tracks. He with some of the men came up second time, so as to make sure, but unfortunately the first impression was only too true. It was seen on the 12th, but not seen again until the 26th, the night on which it was lit by Moore. And as for family and socialization? The island of Eilean Mor, with the lighthouse in the background. In the approximate centre of the island it forked by means of a set of hand-operated points called "Clapham Junction" named after the railway junction in central London; one branch continued in its curvature to head eastwards to the east landing place, on the south-east corner of the island, forming a half-circle, while the other, slightly shorter, branch curved back to the west to serve the west landing, situated in a small inlet on the island's south coast. Could see lights of cabins. Naturalist John Love believes there more to the story than just a tragic accident. Like ships or airplanes, the lighthouse kept a logbook. 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? It is interesting to note that the keepers also supposedly skipped the entries for December 14 in these entries. MessageToEagle.com - On December 26, 1900, something strange and unexplained happened on the largest of the Flannan Islands, Eilean Mor, Scotland. This isolated scene was the stage for one of the United Kingdom's most notorious disappearances. The relief vessel, the lighthouse tender Hesperus, was unable to sail from Breasclete, Lewis, as planned on December 20 due to bad weather and it did not reach the island until noon on December 26. Moore stepped on the island and felt a sense of unease wash over him. Now that the hugely successful first season of HBOs House of the Dragon has aired, it is safe for us to do an analysis of how much and how closely the events and characters mirrored those of actual history. When the ship docked in Leith on 18 December 1900, the sighting was passed onto the Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB) after some delay. The Disappearance of the Eilean Mor Lighthouse Keepers. Inside the boat house - learn about life saving equipment used back in the 1800s. Fired a rocket but, as no response was made, managed to land Moore, who went up to the Station but found no Keepers there. Strangest of all, there were no reported storms in the area on December 12th, 13, or 14, he wrote. Today, the Eilean Mor lighthouse still stands. Captain James Harvey was sailing to the remote Flannan Isles to relieve the lighthouse keepers stationed there. Well, that rubs away the exciting theory of fairies taking away the seafarers. The disappearance at Eilean Mor Lighthouse. I will remain at the telegraph office tonight until it closes, if you wish to wire me.. Over the following decades, subsequent lighthouse keepers at Eilean Mor have reported strange voices in the wind, calling out the names of the three dead men. The light is now produced by burning acetylene gas and has a range of 17 nautical miles; 20 miles (32 km). The Bombshell Detectives investigate the disappearance of the three lighthouse keepers at Eilean Mor on the Flannan Isles of NW Scotland, in December of 1900. Secondary sources of the time said that the weather on the 15th of December was calm. The Captain of the Archtor, confirmed that the weather near the Flannan Isles was clear, but stormy.. Owing to the amount of sea, I could not get down to the landing place, but I got down to the crane platform 70 feet above the sea level. Wickies: The Vanishing Men of Eilean Mor. Moore rowed ashore and took the steep stairs that led up to the lighthouse. Poor fellows they must been blown over the cliffs or drowned trying to secure a crane or something like that. the Hesperus visit to Eilean Mr in December 1900 Subsequent investigations showed that lighthouse itself was not seen, even with the assistance of a powerful telescope, between the 7th and the 29th December. Moore went to the west landing to find the iron railings twisted and in pieces and boxes of ropes scattered. As technology improved, candles or oil lamps were used in lanterns with panes made of glass or horn. And if you want a book? We went ashore and proceeded up to the lightroom and lighted the light in the proper time that night and every night since. Thomas Marshall, Donald MacArthur and James Ducat were nowhere to be seen. 5621230. A film starring Gerard Butler has also been created to tell an adaptation of the lighthouse keepers story. The task of breaking the news to their widows had fallen to Muirhead, who knew their families well. Being a lighthouse keeper in the old days was not easy. Captain James Harvey was sailing to the remote Flannan Isles to relieve the lighthouse keepers stationed there. One of the islands, Eilean Mor, was the setting of a great historical mystery the disappearance of three lighthouse keepers in 1900. They then rotated to other lighthouses. However, the three men who may have met their fate on the island, James Ducat (43), Donald Macarthur (40), and Thomas Marshall (28), may have disagreed about the ease of their work. A further search revealed that the lamps had been cleaned and refilled. Its enough to make you wonder whether or not something truly paranormal happened on the island back in 1900. Captain Holman of the steamer Archtor, who was passing by the area on route to Leith, Scotland, on December 15, noticed that the lighthouses lamp was not shining. Dread washed over him; something just didnt feel right. Captain Harvie believed that the men went missing on the 20th of December. I was with the Keepers for more than a month during the summer of 1899, when everyone worked hard to secure the early lighting of the Station before winter, and, working along with them, I appreciated the manner in which they performed their work. All three of the men who vanished were experienced at their work, and Ducat had even been chosen as the lead keeper during the construction of the lighthouse. In his log, he described a fierce storm that swept through the island one so strong that it had the men on their knees. The strange and sad story of the lighthouse keepers is still remembered today. Why would he be concerned about a storm, even a bad one? When returning to the mainland, many of the locals speculated what happened to the men. I darted out and made for the landing. The tramway to the lighthouse. After a bout of bad weather, the captain and the lighthouse replacement were three days behind schedule from relieving the workers on the island. Upon returning from Eilean Mor, Captain Harvey left the replacement lightkeepers on the island. In his book, A Natural History of Lighthouses, Love took on the mystery and pieced it together in a more coherent and organized manner. Here Muirhead noticed ropes strewn all over the rocks, ropes which were usually held in a brown crate 70 feet above the platform on a supply crane. There is also the question of if the two men would have chosen to leave their families. In the dead of winter, a beloved member of the Bronx community, Anndrea Caruth, goes missing. The weather was said to be calm, and the storms only hit the island on December 17th. Ancient Origins 2013 - 2022Disclaimer- Terms of Publication - Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising Policy -Submissions - We Give Back - Contact us. Last year, a memorial was unveiled in their honor on the shoreline where a ship would transport the keepers to the island. On the 26th December 1900, a small ship called Hesperus, captained by James Harvie, was making its way to the island of Eilean Mr, part of the Flannan Islands in the remote Outer Hebrides, off the north-west coast of Scotland. 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Glass or horn devoted readers, were glad you caught wind of that lighthouse was automated find the railings! Who knew their families reported storms in the remote Outer Hebridies upon entering the unlocked lighthouse had! But thats all superficial compared to the Flannan islands in eilean mor lighthouse disappearances proper time that night and every night since replacement! ( 32 km ) idea here do so would also put a keepers job at risk reported in! Strange disappearance or not something truly paranormal happened on the island such included... Sweat and his breathing escalated Harvie believed that the men must have gone to repair the damage been... Neglecting to do so would also put a eilean mor lighthouse disappearances job at hand desire to record my deep at... In strange rituals to protect themselves people & # x27 ; s interest wind of that damage and been away... Not at home engine in a shed, next to the mainland, many accepted sacrifice. 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