One of my favorite 'mysterious disappearances' cases. There's been a lot of embroidery of details over the years, like the half eaten meal and overturned chair, but the facts are weird enough: A lighthouse left in apple-pie order, Moore estimated from the made beds, the policed kitchen and the maintenance on the light that whatever happened had happened after morning chores were completed. Both the outer gate and two outer doors were shut, only kitchen door stood open. The two sets of oilskins belonging to the regular keepers were missing. The coat used by the substitute however was still on its peg. The month btw was December.There were no signs of violence or any kind of disorder inside the Lighthouse. Whatever happened must have happened outside. Regulations forbade all three keepers from leaving the house at the same time while the light was burning. The last log entry was on December 15th, it was on that same night that a passing ship noted that the light was not burning.
It seems clear that whatever happened happened in daylight and probably before noon on the 15th. Heavy weather had damaged the western landing sweeping away some of the equipment kept there. The official theory is the men were also swept away while trying to secure said equipment. BUT:
1. Why did Donald MacArthur, the substitute, leave the lighthouse in his shirtsleeves in stormy December weather carefully closing the two outer doors and the gate behind him?
2. Why did the two regular keepers go out in the first place?
3. Was their disappearance linked to the damage to the west landing? Was the weather particularly severe on December 15th at all, and remember it was daylight.