Coincident regarding an interview on 6WF

File:WSH and the sinking of the Ethel & coincidence.pdf

Transcription
I have had a few coincidents happen to me — this is one of them. Our grandfather Shakespeare Hall was very powerfully built & a very strong swimmer. On his death in 1895 (he had a heart attack & drowned when taking a swim one very hot night in Cossack) the press contained an account about him swimming for 15 hours in another willy-willy (cyclone).

Co-incident regarding an interview on 6WF

Such a strange thing happened on 12/6/1992 when Michael Schultz of 6WF interviewed H. Margaret Wilson regarding her grandfather Wm. Shakespeare Hall. The interview was taped at 3.45pm on Thursday 11th June 1992 and was timed to go to air at 9pm. However due to time scheduled restraints it was postponed until the following night (Friday 12th).

It so happened that a Battye Library volunteer called "Ted" was sorting a box of old papers of a miscellaneous nature on Friday 12th June 1992. He had his radio on and heard the talk about Shakespeare Hall — about whom he knew nothing. He continued sieving through the papers when he suddenly realised he was holding four sheets of foolscap paper headed "Statement of Wm. Shakespeare Hall of the Schooner "Ethel" in reference to the late hurricane of the 7th inst. who says on 24th January 1881" etc. etc.

Mrs Pat Paterson of Battye very kindly phoned to tell me of the coincidence and later sent me a photocopy of the four sheets of evidence regarding the sinking of the "Ethel" and the loss of life of a young man called John O'Grady junior. His father John O'Grady senior, Shakespeare Hall and several "natives" survived.

Apparently, O'Grady and Hall went to Coolgoora Creek (Mary Anne Patch) to "clean the vessel". A gale came up & they decided to let go their big anchor with 15 fathoms of chain. They soon