In December 1900, a relief crew was sent to Eilean Mor, a remote island off the coast of Scotland, to replace the three lighthouse keepers stationed there. Upon arrival, they found the island in disarray, the lighthouse not operational, and the keepers missing. The crew discovered the keepers' logbook, which detailed a severe storm that was supposed to have occurred from December 12-15. However, people on the mainland reported no storm during that time, and the visibility on the island was unusually clear.
The logbook entries described the keepers' fear and prayers as they anticipated the storm, but the final entry on December 15 stated that the storm had ended and the sea was calm. An investigation suggested that the keepers might have been swept away by a rogue wave while securing supplies, but many questions remain unanswered.
The mystery deepens with reports from subsequent lighthouse keepers who heard strange noises and voices calling out the names of the missing keepers. The incident remains an unsolved mystery, with many theories but no explanation for the discrepancy between the logbook entries and the mainland reports.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The story is about the mysterious disappearance of three lighthouse keepers on the island of Eilean Mor, off the coast of Scotland in December 1900.
2. A steamboat passing by the island noticed that the lighthouse was not operational and reported it to authorities.
3. A relief crew, led by Captain James Harvey, was sent to the island to investigate and replace the lighthouse keepers.
4. The crew found that the three lighthouse keepers, Ducat, Marshall, and the occasional, were missing, and the island and lighthouse were in disarray.
5. The crew found the lighthouse keepers' logbook, which described a severe storm that had passed through the island, but there was no evidence of a storm on the mainland.
6. The logbook entries described the lighthouse keepers as being extremely worried and praying non-stop, and one of them was crying due to the severity of the storm.
7. The final log entry stated that the storm had ended, the sea was calm, and "God is over all."
8. An investigation was conducted, and the official explanation was that the lighthouse keepers must have been swept away by a rogue wave while trying to secure supplies on the dock.
9. However, the people on the mainland reported that there was no storm during the time period described in the logbook, and the visibility onto the island was better than it had been in years.
10. The disappearance of the lighthouse keepers remains an unsolved mystery, and many theories have been proposed to explain what might have happened to them.
11. In the years following their disappearance, other lighthouse keepers reported hearing strange sounds and voices on the island, including someone yelling the names of the missing lighthouse keepers.