THE HERO OF THE ARABIC.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 99, 22 October 1915, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE HERO OF THE ARABIC.

GALLANT DEEDS OF CAPT. FINCH. UNE TYPE OF BRITISH SEAMAN. The fate seamanship of Captain Finch, the commander of the torpedoed White Star liner Arabic, is the admiration of Liverpool, and Mr. Moore, secretary of the Imperial Merchant Service Guild, has made representations to the Admiralty that he should receive national recognition. Mr. Moore told a "Daily Mail" representative that Captain Finch's performance was marvellous. Seamen with half a century's experience are of opinion that nothing finer has been performed at sea. Captain Finch has been in the service of the White Sttu- Company more than a quarter of a century. As an officer lie got his first experience in the company's vessels maintaining the service across the Pacific between San Francisco and China and Japan. He is a lieutenant-commander on the retired list of the Royal Naval Reserve, his seniority dating from October 30. 1902. For gallantry at sea no commander has a finer record. Shortly after assuming the captaincy of the Cymric in 190 S. he rescued the crew of forty-one of the steamer St. Cuthbert in circumstances of great difficulty. The vessel was on fire during a blizzard, with the sea rising mountains high. Despite this Captain Finch had a boat lowered and three journeys were successfully made to the St. Cuthbert, the last six men being taken off ten minutes before she sank. In the davs when he commanded vessels in the Pacific ho was caught in a typhoon, and his skilful handling of his vessel, which was crowded with Chinese students and American business men and tourists, was publicly recognised. The Chinese Minister to Washington gave Captain Finch a gold cup bearing the arms of the Chinese Emperor. Captain Finch is as modest as he is bravo. His only recreations when ashore are devising schemes to augment the funds of the charity for sailors lost at sea and re-digging up the garden at his home in Seacombe. CLOCK-WORK RESCUES Another passenger, Mr. W. Mason, a retired leather merchant, formerly of Bradford, but who had resided for two vears in Ontario, said the deepest impression left on his mind was the magnificent discipline of the ship's company and the splendid work of rescue. "The moment the explosion occurred the officers and crew sprang to thenposts and saw to the filling of the boats, which were lowered with machine-like precision. Nothing went amiss in this critical period, and we passengers are full of gratitude to the captain, his officers, and crew for their grand work. "I saw the captain standing on the bridge as the vessel went down, and 1 am verv glad that he was saved. He is a grand old man, cool and brave, and fitted to be captain of any vessel." The view of the Arabic's passengers is that Captain Finch manoeuvred his ship with exceeding ability and coolness, and his bravery and resourcefulness earned the warmest praise from all in the Arabic's boats. He went ashore with his leg injured, his clothes bedraggled and torn, but in the eyes of his passengers a hero. The Queenstown Town Council, at its weekly meeting passed a resolution extolling Captain Finch's seamanship.

CAPTAIN'S NARRATIVE. SELF-SACRIFICE OF THE ENGINEROOM MEN.

Captain Finch in his narrative of the sinking of his ship 6aid twenty Victoria Crosses should be given to the Arabic's engine-room staff; they all were heroes a thousand times over; in fact the greatest coolness prevailed everywhere.

Although he was on the bridge and saw the torpedo coming MOft. away he did not see the submarine itself. The lifeboats and rafts were ready for launching and lifebelts had been distributed when the danger zone was reached. The torpedo hit his ship at right angles. One of the boats was blown clean into the air. Fourteen were launched and two capsized. He stayed in the ship till she was going down, when he dived off. was sucked down a great distance, and rose amid wreckage of all kinds. He got hold of a raft, helped two firemen and a woman with a baby on to it. and, tired out, had to wait for the rising swell of the sea to lift him on to the raft. He was twenty minutes in the water and one and a half hours on the raft before being taken into a boat.

No intimation was given by the submarine. When struck he signalled to get the way off the ship by going astern. The heroes in the engine-room carried out his orders. THANKS TO CAPT. FINCH. About 43 passengers and 206 members of the crew arrived at Liverpool on Saturday. All spoke in the highest praise of the coolness, courage, and resource of Captain Finch. "Only his fine seamanship and organisation saved so manv," was the tribute paid by all to h ; s heroism. About 24 passengers who arrived in London also spoke highly of the captain. From the White Star offices in Liverpool the following telegram of appreciation was sent to him :

Please accept from the chairman, directors, and manager an expression of their profound admiration of the excellent discipline and exemplary conduct of all concerned, which has resulted in minimising what might under other circumstances have proved to he an infinitely greater calamity.