River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1915-08-26
ARABIC HAD LONG
EVADED GERMANS
Vessel Known as Largest OF
Munitions Carriers.
CAPTAIN WAS RESOURCEFUL
Fer Ten Weeks he Had Dodged tho
Kaiser's Submarines by Not
Adhering to His Schedule.


New York.-When the White Star
liner Arabic dropped under the sur
face off the Irish coast, Aug. 10, the
German admiralty had accomplished
a feat it had. been striving for ever
since last October The Arabic had
been thorn in the side of the i'm
perial government as d successful and
elusive munition carrier ever since
she replaced the Cedric in the New
York and Liverpool service ten
months ago.
Captain William Finch, the vessels
portly commander, was q thinker-a
resourceful skipper who could not be
caught either going or coming by the
undersea craft that had been laying
f0r him at every point in the war
zone where he was supposed to fetch
up to get his bearings.
After Finch for Months.
1t was known in the shipping dis
trict that the Germans wanted to get
Finch. He knew it himself, but the
game amused rather than annoyed
him He is reported to have said
once that if they ever got him it
would be west bound when he didn't
have anything on board that the al
lies wanted very badly.
That was the way they got him,
west bound, with a comparatively
small passenger complement and car
go On the eight or nine east-bOund
trips OF the Arabic when she was
laden to the plimsoll with 10000 to
5000 tons Of fighting material, Finch
never showed up where he was ex-
pected or when he was expected and
the vessel got through safely.
ship an Artful Oodger.
The Arabic was either ahead Of
schedule or behind schedule. Some
times she would make the land and
sometimes she would lay we'll off the
Irish coast, nosing over well to the
east near the Bristol Channel and the
Welsh coast, or to the south, a little
northwest of the Scillys.
Early in February, when British
passenger carriers were resorting to
the use Of the American flag as
protection against attack, the Arabic
steamed boldly UP the Irish Sea fly
ing a big British ensign and jack.
The Arabic had been for almost
year q floating arsenal on each OF
her east-bound trips from this port.
She was a ship of 1891 tons gross
and an enormous cargo could be
slowed away in her hold. Her decks
were usually congested with automo-
bile trucks and acroplales. She was
500 feet long and had beam Of 60
feet.
Escaped as Lusitania Sank.
Submarines were trying to get the
Arabic in May when the Lusitania
was sent to the bottom off the Old
Head Of Kinsale. Finch heard the
same warnings that We're sent out to
the Lusitania. and needing them, es-
capped
The message, which was in code,
flagship in Queenstown harbor, and
deciphered, read: Submarines &C.
tive off south coast of Ireland"
The skipper said he caught the
message Wednesday night after leav-
ing Liverpool, and although he in
tended to give the Irish coast wide
berth. he changed his course sudden
" to the southeast toward Bristol,
going thirty-five miles out Of his
course. Then he encountered fog and
had its protection until out of the
danger zone
Gun Club on Ship Removed.
The Arabic has frequently come to
public attention, and recently her
name was associated with the ques-
ton OF arming merchantmen for de-
fensive measures. On her arrival
here July % passengers talked freely
of the gun club" organized by stew
ards, stokers and sailor men.
1t was said members of the gun
club were equipped with high-powered
rifles that could put a submarine out
of commission and that they prac-
ticed at a target towed a thousand
yards astern The Arabics stern
during the last four or FIVE trips has
been well banked with sandbags to
protect her steering gear in the event
OF her running away from a subma-