S.S. Finland

Built by W. Cramp & Sons of Philadelphia, Finland was launched in 1902, and made her maiden voyage (New York-Antwerp) for Red Star, under American flag, on 4 October 1902. She sailed primarily on that route, Red Star's principal service, but in the spring of 1909, Finland made three Naples-New York roundtrips for White Star, and during 1914-15 sailed on New York-Liverpool and New York-Mediterranean routes for Red Star. Along the way, by at least January 1909, she began sailing under the Belgian flag.

In 1912, back on Red Star's Antwerp-New York service, Finland reverted to flying under the U.S. flag. In 1912, Finland was chartered by the American Olympic Committee to take the U.S. team to the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden In April 1915, she was chartered to Panama Pacific for six months, on a New York-Panama Canal-San Francisco route. She returned to IMM service -- International Mercantile Marine Co. owned Red Star, White Star and a number of other lines -- and was placed on the American Line's New York-London and New York-Liverpool services until she was taken over as a U.S. troopship in 1917.

Although she was torpedoed off France in 1917, Finland survived both that attack and the rest of the war, and returned to service in 1920. She ran on Red Star's Antwerp-New York route and American's New York-Plymouth-Hamburg route before being sold to Panama Pacific in November 1923. Finland was scrapped in 1928.




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Plan of passenger accomodation


Nice to know ...


King George V, of England (center foreground, with beard)
Inspecting the armament of the American troop transport Finland, at Liverpool during World War I. Standing by the King's left shoulder is Lieutenant Commander Stanton L.H. Hazard, USN, who commanded the Navy gun crews on board the ship. The gun at left appears to be a 4"/40. This ship was USS Finland (ID # 4543) in 1918-1919 and was an Army-chartered transport in 1917.


Torpedoed in France in 1917

Testimonies

Henry (Heinrich, Henri) Arnold (1867 - 1912) He arrived 1898-1902. He traveled alone, although married and father of three young children at that time. He was Austrian by birth, provence Karten. At the time of immigration he lived in Homberg or Hochheide(one and the same) Germany. Other relatives that left in the near future years, left from Antwerp, Belgium on the ship Finland. However that ship did not come into use until 1902. He went to Herminie, PA a mining town. He was a miner by trade. His wife and three children joined him in Herminie in 1903. It is possible that Henry left from other German coast towns.

Henry would have been in his early thirties at the time of his emmigration. Thank you for your efforts.

Loretta Kozel
LFHKOZEL@aol.comp

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Mrs. Alexander MacDonald came from Philadelphia these days as the only first class passenger by the steamship "Finland" of the Red Star Line in New York. If only first class passenger she had at her disposal 9 stewards, 6 female stewards , 20 servants, 3 bellboys, the first class surgeon and the ship's orchestra.