Fiction- Stories, Myths and Legends. THE LEGEND OF THE VANISHING LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS. PT 3.

A half-hour later, Captain Harvie was in his cabin, located just off the bridge.

The Hesperus was anchored securely just off the coast of Eilean Mor and the east -side landing was easily visible under the uncharacteristically cloudless sky.

 

There were actually two landing sites on the island, the other was located on the west-side of the island.  However, the east-side landing was preferred because it offered shelter against the turbulent North Atlantic.

Harvie was seated at his desk, and was carefully studying a schedule that rested on it.  Even though he had read it many times in the past few days, Harvie kept returning to it, as if he was missing something.

The schedule was the official document that broke down the Duties, Safety Procedures, Maintenance Instructions and Dates for the landing of new supplies, that every Lighthouse Keeper serving the tower on Eilean Mor had to learn.  Even more important, it broke down the appointed personnel then serving on the island.

Joseph Moore was part of a four man crew that ran the day to day operations responsible for keeping the light operating 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week.  The Manifest of Personnel consisted of :

• James Ducat- Principal Keeper.
• William Ross- 1st Assistant Keeper.
• Thomas Marshall- 2nd Assistant Keeper.
• Joseph Moore- Relief Keeper.  However, Ross had become ill several months before, and Donald Macarthur had been sent in to replace him as an occasional.

The four men worked on a rotating basis. Three men on duty at any one time, with the fourth man given shore leave that lasted two weeks.  At the end of the two weeks the Hesperus would leave the mainland with supplies necessary for the proper operation of the Lighthouse, and to meet the needs of those who were there to keep it running.  The ship would also transport the Keeper on shore at the time to the island to resume his duties.  After depositing its' cargo ashore, the Hesperus would depart, taking a different Keeper for a Fortnights time off.

Harvie put the the schedule in his shirt pocket, and sat back thinking about any possible circumstances that may have been overlooked that could explain the disappearances.  He recalled the conversation he had with Moore just before they cast off for Eilean Mor, regarding the strange and possibly tragic situation. The Hesperus had been scheduled to return to the island on Dec 21, but foul weather had forced a delay.

"I can't understand it," Moore had said to Harvie, while they were standing on the dock as the Hesperus was made ready to sail for the return to Eilean Mor.

Moore had continued, "Jim runs a tight ship. If he could draw a breath, there is no way the light would be allowed to go out."   Harvie knew that "Jim" was a reference to James Ducat, the Principal who was in charge of operations on the island.

"Well," Harvie replied, "could one of the others have snapped, and ... you know..."

Moore cut him off.  "Tommy is as reliable and stable a Lighthouse man as you'll ever meet.  I know Macarthur is an occasional, and was there because of Ross being sick and all, but he knows the business and volunteered as a replacement.

"Nope, I'd sooner believe they were taken by a Kraken, then one of them turning on the other two."

End of PT 3.

Date- 12/25/2013.

Fiction- Stories, Myths and Legends. THE LEGEND OF THE VANISHING LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS. PT 2.

Harvie turned away from Moore and stepped outside the bridge. Though the weather had improved, it was still icy cold.  The Captain turned up the collar on his coat and looked out on the foredeck of his ship.  Several sailors were busy with the daily routine of ships maintenance, under the supervision of his second mate.

"Mr. MacDonald," Harvie called out addressing the mate, "Secure the detail and prepare the launch for going ashore.  Then report to me on the bridge."

The reply was immediate. "Aye Captain, who will be in the landing party?"

"Never mind that now", was the answer, "Carry on with the orders."

Harvie stepped back inside the bridge, and observed Moore still staring straight ahead, as if in a trance.

"No", thought Harvie, "Moore won't be a problem.  Nothing on Gods green earth could keep him off the launch,  with his comrades missing."

However, choosing the right men to accompany him might be a problem.  Sailors, by nature, were a superstitious lot.  Given the situation and history of the island, proper selection was a must.  He couldn't risk sending someone ashore who believed that the supernatural was behind the disappearances, without considering alternative explanations.

Eilean Mor is the largest of the Flannan Isles, which are part of the Outer Hebrides that lie off the western coast of Scotland.  Uninhabited for much of its history, it does contain a chapel dedicated to St Flannan which pre-dates the Lighthouse by hundreds of years.  Built in the late nineteenth century, the Lighthouse became operational in 1899.  Attempts to settle the island never lasted very long, and it was considered to be inhabited by spirits who did not like visitors, even for a short time.

Both Harvie and Moore were aware of the islands history, but nothing from the past had ever occurred that mirrored the present day mystery.  James Ducat, Thomas Marshall and Donald Macarthur seemed to have disappeared from the face of the earth.

The first sign of trouble was reported on Dec. 15.  A passing ship, the Archtor, reported that when it passed the island in foul weather that the light was not operating.  Other ships had reported the same, so there was little doubt that there was something dreadfully wrong on the island.  Neglecting the light was a serious offense, and it was inconceivable that all three men would allow such a thing to happen if it was in their power to prevent it.

End of PT 2.

Date- 11/24/2013.

FEATURE ARTICLES. LOOKING AT THE U.S. SUPREME COURT: APPOINTING A NEW MEMBER, WHAT DOES THE CONSTITUTION SAY? PT 2.

The Process in Filling any of these Vacancies is Basically the same, and the Success or Failure Relies on both the PRESIDENT AND THE SENATE OBEYING THE DIRECTIVES SET FORTH IN THE BODY OF THE DOCUMENT.  In other words: YOU HAVE SWORN TO OBEY AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES. KEEPING THAT PROMISE ALLOWS THE SYSTEM TO WORK.

IT HAS WORKED FOR OVER 200 YEARS. WHY?  BECAUSE POLITICS SHOULD NOT TAKE PRECEDENCE OVER DUTY, AND KEEPING YOUR WORD.

To Focus in on the Nature of the Current "Controversy," it is Important to CONCENTRATE ON THE TERMS USED TO DESCRIBE THE RESPONSIBILITIES GIVEN TO THE PRINCIPLES INVOLVED.

"NOMINATE" and "APPOINT" are the Terms Used to Describe the ROLE OF THE PRESIDENT IN FILLING THE OFFICES OF Ambassadors,... public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States,

The Words "ADVICE" and "CONSENT" REFER TO THE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SENATE.

How it is Suppose to Work.

1-  A Vacancy opens up.

2-  The President Nominates a Candidate, and may

seek the Guidance or "ADVICE" of the Senate to Choose 

an Individual who is Qualified and Capable.

3-  After the PRESIDENTS NOMINATION, the SENATE 

MEETS TO CONFIRM THE ACCEPTABILITY OF THE 

ONE CHOSEN.

4-  If the NOMINEE RECEIVES AN ACCEPTABLE PERCENTAGE

OF FAVORABLE VOTES FROM THE SENATE, ("CONSENT"),

THE PRESIDENT "APPOINTS" THE CANDIDATE TO FILL THE VACANCY.

5-  However, if the Vote is not in FAVOR OF THE NOMINEE, THE

SENATE SHOULD "ADVISE" THE PRESIDENT ON THE REASONS

WHY "CONFIRMATION" WAS DENIED. THIS GIVES THE PRESIDENT

AN OPPORTUNITY TO SELECT A MORE "ACCEPTABLE" NOMINEE.

THIS IS HOW IT IS DESIGNED TO WORK, AND GIVES NEITHER THE

PRESIDENT OR THE SENATE COMPLETE POWER OVER THE 

SELECTION PROCESS.

However, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN ONE SIDE DECIDES TO HIJACK

THE PROCESS?

See PART 3.

FEATURE ARTICLES. THE SOCIOPATH- A DANGER ALL AROUND US. PT 1.

FEATURE ARTICLES.

THE SOCIOPATH-  A DANGER ALL AROUND US.  PT 1.

Look for what lies underneath the surface.When certain acts of violence are reported in the media, how often do we hear the following;

• "How could he do that to his best friend."
• "Why would a mother hurt her own children."
• "He's such a nice guy and a good family man, he can't be guilty."
• "The victims were so innocent, why would anyone want to hurt them." 

Of course there are numerous other examples I could use, but the point is clear.  Even after thousands of examples throughout the centuries, we are still caught off-guard by acts of seemingly senseless violence and brutality. However, we shouldn't be.  There is now, and perhaps has always been, a certain segment of Humanity that thrives on the misery they cause to others.THE SOCIOPATH.

I will define the Sociopath as; An individual with a fully developed and ingrained personality that;

• Uses others as tools to satisfy individual desires.
• Lacks remorse or empathy for the pain and suffering they cause to others.
• Has a Grandiose, Inflated self-image that makes them feel like they are the center of the universe.
• Enjoys Deceiving and Manipulating people, often for no other reason then a sense of power.
• Positive words such as Dignity, Honor and Duty or negative words such as Cruelty, Prejudice and Suffer are meaningless. They represent concepts foreign to the Sociopath.

To put it simply, the Sociopath represents a personality that most of us cannot comprehend or identify with. That is where the Danger lies.  They use this lack of knowledge to cultivate new victims who are unaware of their true nature.

See pt.2 in a future posting.