effulgentpoet:history aestheticsTHE FLANNAN ISLES LIGHTHOUSE MYSTERYFlannan Isles Lighthouse is a li
effulgentpoet:history aestheticsTHE FLANNAN ISLES LIGHTHOUSE MYSTERYFlannan Isles Lighthouse is a lighthouse near the highest point on Eilean Mòr, in the Outer Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland. In December 1900 the lighthouse was manned by three men: Thomas Marshall, James Ducat, and Donald MacArthur, with a rotating fourth man spending time on shore. On arrival, the relief keeper and crew found that the flagstaff had no flag, none of the usual provision boxes had been left on the landing stage for re-stocking, and none of the lighthouse keepers were there to welcome them ashore. Attempts to reach them by blowing the ship’s whistle and firing a flare were unsuccessful. The entrance gate to the compound and main door were both closed, the beds unmade, and the clock stopped. A further search revealed that the lamps were cleaned and refilled. A set of oilskins was found, suggesting that one of the keepers had left the lighthouse without them, despite the severity of the weather. The only sign of anything amiss was an overturned chair by the kitchen table. The missing keepers had kept their log until 9 a.m. on 15 December. There was no sign of any of the keepers, anywhere on the island. No bodies were ever found, resulting in speculation in newspapers of the period. Implausible stories ensued, such as that one keeper had murdered the others, then thrown himself into the sea; a sea serpent had carried the men away; they had been abducted by foreign spies; or they had met their fate through the malevolent presence of a boat filled with ghosts. More than ten years later, the events were still being commemorated and elaborated on. X -- source link
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