大象传媒

Air an latha 脿s d猫idh Latha na Nollaige anns a鈥� bhliadhna naoi ceud deug (1900) r脿inig an soitheach Hesperus na h-Eileanan Flannach. B鈥� ise an soitheach a bha a鈥� frithealadh nan taighean-solais. Bha fios aig B貌rd nan Taighean-solais gun robh rudeigin ce脿rr. Cha robh an solas anns an taigh-sholais ag obair.

Bha ceathrar luchd-obrach ann. Bhiodh tri霉ir c貌mhla anns an eilean aig an aon 脿m, leis a鈥� cheathramh duine a鈥� gabhail f貌rladh. Bha am fear a bh鈥� air a bhith air f貌rladh, I貌saph Moore, air an Hesperus. Ach nuair a r脿inig iad an t-eilean, cha robh sgeul air duine. Chuir iad lasair-bhoillsgean suas. Ach cha do nochd duine.

Bha doras an taigh-sholais d霉inte. Bha s猫ithear anns a鈥� chidsin air a chliathaich. Cha robh an gleoc a鈥� dol. Bha aon seata oillsginean ann. Ach anns a h-uile d貌igh eile, cha robh c脿il a-mach 脿s an rathad. Bha na lampaichean glan agus l脿n connaidh. Bha uidheamachd a鈥� chidsin glan. D猫 bh鈥� air tachairt, ma-th脿, don tri霉ir 鈥� Seumas Ducat, T貌mas Marshall agus D貌mhnall MacArtair?

Dh鈥檉huirich I貌saph Moore agus tri霉ir de chriutha an Hesperus anns an taigh-sholais. Thill an Hesperus a Bhreascleit ann an Le貌dhas, far an robh ionad aig B貌rd nan Taighean-solais. Chuir caiptean an Hesperus telegram don Bh貌rd, ag innse dhaibh gun robh tubaist air a bhith ann. Leis nach robh an gleoc a鈥� dol anns an taigh-sholais, bha e dhen bheachd gun do thachair an tubaist seachdain roimhe.

Rinn an ceathrar anns an eilean rannsachadh m貌r. Bha e follaiseach gun robh stoirm mh貌r air a bhith ann. Mar eisimpleir, bha bogsa aig ceud is deich troighean os cionn na mara briste, is stuth air a sgaoileadh mu a thimcheall. Bha r猫ilichean iarainn air an l霉badh. Bha clach mh貌r de chuideam c貌rr is tonna air gluasad bhon 脿ite aice. Aig mullach a鈥� bhearraidh, c貌rr is d脿 cheud troigh os cionn na mara, bha an stoirm air sgrathan a reubadh far na talmhainn trithead troigh air falbh bhon oir.

Ach 鈥� bha oifigearan an taigh-sholais air fios mun a seo a chur anns an leabhar-aithris aca. Thachair am milleadh mus deach na daoine 脿 fianais.

Bha beachdan de gach se貌rsa ann mu na thachair. Bha cuid dhen bheachd gun do mhuirt fear aca an dithis eile is an uair sin gun do ghabh e l脿mh na bheatha fh猫in le bhith a鈥� leum don mhuir. A r猫ir cuid eile bha iad air an toirt am bruid le daoine 脿 d霉thaich ch猫in. Is iomadh smuain a rinn ceangal eadar an tubaist agus gnothaichean os-n脿darrach.

Air an naoidheamh latha fichead dhen D霉bhlachd chaidh Raibeart Muirhead, oifigear aig B貌rd nan Taighean-solais, ann. Cho-dh霉in esan gun robh an tri霉ir air a dhol a-mach a cheangal bogsa anns an robh r貌pan. Bha am bogsa ann an eag sa bhearradh, ceud is deich troighean os cionn na mara. Bha D貌mhnall MacArtair air a dhol a-mach gun a chuid oillsginean air. Chaidh tonn m貌r thairis air an tri霉ir. Chaidh an sguabadh air falbh.

Tha feadhainn fhathast dhen bheachd gun robh D貌mhnall MacArtair anns an taigh-sholais nuair a bha an dithis eile a-muigh, agus gum fac鈥� e rudeigin 鈥� 鈥檚 d貌cha tonn m貌r a鈥� tighinn. Ruith e a-mach ann an cabhaig airson rabhadh a thoirt don dithis eile. Bhiodh sin a鈥� m矛neachadh mar nach robh oillsginean air agus mar a bha an s猫ithear air a chliathaich. Ach 鈥檚 iongantach gum bi fios againn a-chaoidh air d猫 d矛reach a thachair air an latha uabhasach sin anns na h-Eileanan Flannach.

Faclan na Litreach: Latha na Nollaige: Christmas Day; Na h-Eileanan Flannach: The Flannan Isles; lasair-bhoillsgean: flares; oillsginean: oilskins.

Abairtean na Litreach: a bha a鈥� frithealadh nan taighean-solais: which was servicing the lighthouses; bhiodh tri霉ir c貌mhla anns an eilean aig an aon 脿m: three people would be together on the island at the same time; leis a鈥� cheathramh duine a鈥� gabhail f貌rladh: with the fourth person taking leave; cha robh sgeul air duine: there was no sign of anybody; bha s猫ithear anns a鈥� chidsin air a chliathaich: a chair in the kitchen was on its side; cha robh an gleoc a鈥� dol: the clock wasn鈥檛 going; cha robh c脿il a-mach 脿s an rathad: nothing was untoward; d猫 bh鈥� air tachairt?: what had happened?; a Bhreascleit, far an robh ionad aig B貌rd nan Taighean-solais: to Breasclete, where the Lighthouse Board had a station; seachdain roimhe: a week before; gun robh stoirm mh貌r air a bhith ann: that there had been a great storm; ceud is deich troighean os cionn na mara: 110 feet above the sea; air a sgaoileadh mu a thimcheall: scattered around it; bha r猫ilichean iarainn air an l霉badh: iron railings were bent; mullach a鈥� bhearraidh: the top of the cliffs; bha an stoirm air sgrathan a reubadh far na talmhainn: the storm had torn turf from the ground; trithead troigh air falbh bhon oir: 30 feet from the edge; bha X air fios mun a seo a chur anns an leabhar-aithris aca: X had put information about this in their logbook; gun do mhuirt fear aca an dithis eile: that one of them murdered the other two; gun do ghabh e l脿mh na bheatha fh猫in: that he committed suicide; le bhith a鈥� leum don mhuir: by jumping into the sea; bha iad air an toirt am bruid: they were kidnapped; ann an eag sa bhearradh: in a notch in the cliff; chaidh an sguabadh air falbh: they were swept away; ann an cabhaig: in a hurry; airson rabhadh a thoirt don dithis eile: to warn the other two.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: eadar an tubaist agus gnothaichean os-n脿darrach: between the accident and supernatural matters. Did you work out that os-n脿darrach means 鈥渟upernatural鈥� ie 鈥渁bove natural鈥�? Os is an old preposition meaning 鈥渁bove, over鈥� and is only encountered in compounds today. It occurs in the compound preposition os cionn as in the Litir 鈥� os cionn na mara (above the sea). But it also occurs in compound adjectives and nouns eg os-daonna (superhuman), os-bhiolait (ultraviolet), os-fh矛reach (surreal), os-fh矛reachas (surrealism), os-n脿iseanta (cosmopolitan), os-st脿it (superstate).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: 鈥檚 iongantach gum bi fios againn a-chaoidh: its unlikely we鈥檒l ever know.