1889 Built as cargo liner/livestock carrier RUNIC by Harland & Wolff, Ltd., Belfast for Oceanic Steam Navigation Co., Ltd. (Ismay, Imrie & Co.)(White Star Line), Liverpool. Launched on 01/01-1889, completed on 16/02-1889. 1895 Sold to West India & Pacific SS. Co., Ltd., Liverpool, renamed TAMPICAN. 1900 Sold to F. Leyland & Co., Ltd., Liverpool. The company’s next RUNIC became later the factory NEW SEVILLA. 1912 Purchased by The South Pacific Whaling Co. A/S (Rich. Osmundsen), Kristiania (founded 20/04-1912) for whaling off the coast of French Congo and a license of 14 years. Originally it was intended to be used on the whaling ground around Australia, but the fleet was never used there. Converted to a floating whaling factory by Framnæs mek. Værksted, Sandefjord, renamed IMO. (The name IMO believed to be from the first letter to I. M. Osmundsen. Landlord from Kodal outside Sandefjord. He had 25 shares in the company A/S Ørnen when ADMIRALEN was purchased for conversion to floating factory). IMO was then the largest vessels that had been at the Port of Sandefjord until then. Cargo capacity was 24.000 barrels in fixed tanks. Also four new catchers was ordered at Christianssands Mek. Værksted of Kristiansand. 1913 Whaling at the coast of French Congo. 1914 Whaling at the coast of French Congo. The result of the season was at last abt. 8.000 barrels of oil. 1915 Whaling in Congo field is significantly poorer than before, as well as difficulties in obtaining licenses. IMO is put into freight trade. Catchers FOAM and SPRØIT being sold. The factory IMO has a book value of NOK. 827.763. 1916 IMO went through a general class survey this year. Maintenance and restoration costs of IMO, this year is NOK 131.831,79. In the Board, Ole Wegger, Sigurd Isaachsen, I. M. Osmundsen, Rich. Osmundsen W. Holter Sørensen. Net profit in 1916 was NOK. 1.808.835. As whaler in 1914 net profit ca. 48.000. 1917 In a statement to shareholders 03/02 giving the following: "1. Since our circular of 30/09 last year IMO has completed a journey from America to Rotterdam with corn for delivery of NOK 19 pr. quarter and a journey from America to Oslo and Moss with corn for delivery of NOK 17 pr. quarter. The ship is now in Baltimore, Maryland, where it loads grain for Vaksdal Mill and is expected to depart the 3 this month. It ships kr. 17.25 per quarter". Upon departing Baltimore is IMO insured for kr. 3,525,000 including freight and equipment. War insurance is set at 4.135 million. IMO is hired for another 3 trips between America and Rotterdam on behalf of "The Commission for Relief in Belgium" for a rate of NOK 25 pr. quarter. In December is IMO at the port of Halifax in Nova Scotia, Canada. At 07.30 hrs am on 07/12, the French steam ship MONT BLANC left her anchorage outside the mouth of the harbour to join a convoy gathering in Bedford Basin. She was loaded with 2,300 tons of wet and dry picric acid, 200 tons of TNT, 10 tons of gun cotton and 35 tons of benzoyl: a highly explosive mixture. At the same time, the Norwegian vessel IMO, in ballast, set off from the Basin bound for New York to pick up a cargo of relief supplies for Belgium. At the entrance to the Narrows, after a series of ill-judged manoeuvres, the IMO struck the MONT BLANC on the bow. Although the collision was not severe, fire immediately broke out on board the MONT BLANC The captain, pilot and crew, expecting the ship to blow up immediately, launched the lifeboats and took refuge on the Dartmouth shore. The ship burned for twenty minutes, drifting until it rested against Pier 6, in the Richmond district, the busy, industrial north end of Halifax. The spectacle was thrilling, and drew crowds of spectators, unaware of the danger. Just before 9.05 a.m., the MONT BLANC exploded. Not one piece of her remained beside the dock where she had finished her voyage. Fragments rained on the surrounding area, crashing through buildings with enough force to embed them where they landed. Churches, houses, schools, factories, docks and ships destroyed in the swath of the blast. Children who had stopped on their way to school, work men lining the windows, families in their homes, sailors in their ships, died instantly. Injuries were frightful, blindness from the splintering glass adding to the shock and bewilderment. IMO was heavily damaged by blast, and driven ashore in Dartmouth. The captain, pilot and five IMO crewmembers of 39 killed. All from the MONT BLANC survived, apart from one man who later died from his wounds. Hardly a pane of glass in Halifax and Dartmouth left intact. The death toll rose to just over 1,900. About 250 bodies never identified; many victims never found. Twenty-five limbs been amputated; more than 250 eyes had to be removed; 37 people left completely blind. Hospitals treated well over 4,000 cases and private doctors hundreds more. The official enquiry opened less than a week after the explosion. The captain and pilot of the MONT BLANC and the naval commanding officer charged with manslaughter and released on bail. They later dropped the charges, because gross negligence causing death not proved against any one of them. In the Nova Scotia District of the Exchequer Court of Canada in April 1918, the MONT BLANC declared solely to blame for the disaster. In May 1919, on appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada, both ships judged equally at fault. The Privy Council in London, at that time the ultimate authority, agreed with the Supreme Court's verdict. Thus, no blame ever laid in the largest manmade explosion until the atomic age, when Oppenheimer studied its effects in calculating the strength of the bombs for Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The annual report announces 31/12-1917 that "IMO is still stranded in Halifax. The preparation of lifting the ship is under way and it will probably be repaired". The value is pr. 31/12-1917 recognized at NOK 769.819 1918 Rich. Osmundsen is still general manager and the board is with Ole Wegger, I. M. Osmundsen, Haldor Virik, Haakon Rachlew. Book value is now listed with £ 3,849,819.87 in accounts at 31/12-1918. 1919 The factory repaired and completed after the explosion and damages in Halifax. Completed 09/05-1919 and then starting trading on the free market in December for The South Pacific Whaling Co. A/S (new manager is Chr. Christensen Jr. A/S), Sandefjord, renamed GUVERNØREN. 1920 In 1920, at the initiative of Anders Jahre, the three whaling companies Dominion Whaling Co. (T. Dannevig), South Pacific Whaling Co. (Rich. Osmundsen), and A / S Odd (Haldor Virik) merged to form a company. They had a common name, namely A / S Odd. As manager was Chr. Christensen Jr. selected. In the board set O. Wegger. Rich. Osmundsen Anders Jahre, P. Johannessen and the manager Chr. Christensen jr. 1921 The company was re-registered 15/01. GUVERNØREN departed from the whaling ground at South Shetlands 22/03 with full catch ca. 28,000 barrels of whale oil. She arrived with the company catchers ODD (ex DOMINION I), ODD I (ex DOMINION I) and ODD III (ex NORMANN I) to Montevideo 30/03 and catchers were laid up there for maintenance and classifications. The factory arrived Sandefjord 01/05. Oil cargo was sold in August, according to a price of £ 31-5-0 for 0/1 oil naked, and cargo was delivered in Brake, Germany. GUVERNØREN departed from Sandefjord 26/10 heading for fishing grounds. Arrived to Montevideo 22/11 and continued on with catchers 24/11. Just outside Port Stanley, Falkland Islands, stranded 29/11-1921 at Cape Carysfort, Cow Bay on the east of the Falkland Islands traveling from Montevideo to South Shetland for whaling. 1922 Was by her insurers condemned 18/01. Ship, coal and equipment were insured in London for a total of £ 237 000. Insurance was paid, with the exception of £ 5,000.00 which was covered by a company that went bankrupt. It succeeded to get permission of the British authorities to leasing catchers, after which the DS/hvb ODD was hired by A/S "Hektor", DS/hvb ODD I to A/S "Ørnen" and DS/hvb ODD III to A/S "Hvalen" (PYTHIA) at a price of NOK 50,000 per. boat for the season

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