Painting

The following text is taken from the folder with a ship portrait, see above: The bitter end! The steam cone “Annona” was built in Aberdeen, Scotland in 1884 and was 165 1/10 feet long and 24 1/4 feet wide with a gestation of 306.45 Tons. Her first name was “Faithlie.” The ship became Swedish in 1890 and was then named “Annona.” Commanders at “Annona” during the time as a Swedish ship were the sea captains O.T. Kjellberg, A.L. Tegnér and A. Pettersson. She belonged to Rederi AB Avena in Uddevalla. This company was owned by Thorburn families. Company, as William Thorburn d.ä. settled in the 1840s. At the time, the ship fleet consisted solely of sailing ships. The “Annona” sailed mainly with loads Uddevalla-London. Thorburns Söner Aktiebolag in Uddevalla was a major exporter of oats and the oats were transported by four own ships, of which “Annona” was one. The export of oats was significant for Uddevalla in a large part of the 1800s. The competition was fierce, but the Thorburnska trading company was able to compete thanks to good magazines and good technical loading facilities outside at Badö and Kasenabben. The “Uddevallahavren” was better and was paid at a higher price than the “goodies”! Handling the oats is difficult because it has a propensity to “float.” The stowage must take place with care. The oats must be isolated from the ship sides with straw and jute mats. The oats would be “stepped together” during loading in the hold. In times of unemployment, this work was so sought after that workers, mainly women, stood at the heights around Kasen to get their sight on the waiting ship. Whoever had first seen the boat on the opening got the first chance of a job! Two of Rederi AB Avenue’s ships sacked on the North Sea. Annona was one. On September 18, 1897, the steamer “Ebro” rammed “Annonas” starboard side in the middle of the stern lid. Annona immediately began to decline and the crew tried to save themselves to the Ebro. It was successful for some, but Ebro’s captain ordered back in machine and thus sacked the ships. The chef, the steamer and the light food rose hung in a rescue line and was to be hoisted up to Ebro’s anvil. One of the women, who was hanging at the top, did not seem to be holding out, but was razed down and then brought the other two. All three drowned! There were some more of the crew left on board the “Annona.” They saved themselves with the oak tree, which was rowed out through the hole formed when the “Ebro” was running in “Annona”! Annona’s commander, A. Pettersson, wrote the day after the shipwreck to the shipping company. a: “Both freestyle and the light matro Ludwig Karlsson had fallen into the lake and drowned; three men saved themselves in the oak.” Annona “floated for 3 1/2 hours before it was completely sunk.” The term “the bitter end” plays on the last piece of the mooring line, which is attached on board the ship. The plant genus Annona should be the background and inspiration for “Annona,” the ship’s name. The genus comprises nearly 140 species with trees, shrubs and lians mainly in America but also in Africa. Many have edible fruits, but also poisons may occur. The Kirimo tree, Annona cherimola, is 5 to 8 m high, and produces apple sized fruits with a roof brick like scaly surface. The shell is thin and sessile, while the contents are a white or slightly pink tasty creamy flesh. The cores are large, dark brown, poisonous and easy to clean away. The delicious fruit meat in kirimoja has a taste reminiscent of both pineapple and banana or strawberries with custard. “The masterpiece of nature,” the German naturalist Alexander von Humboldt (1769 - 1859). Other relatives are the taggannona, Annona muricata, the sugar annona, Annona squamosa, näannona, Annona reticulata, and the hybrid between kirimoja and the sugar annona, atemoya, which one believes will be of great importance in the future. Atemoya is widely grown in Florida, but also in the Mediterranean, India and tropical Southeast Asia. Material in the collections of the Steamboat Company Avena: UM025221 Half model steam cone S/S Avena UM026971 Livbojstavla Ångskonerten S/S Avena UM026972 Livbojstavla Ångskonerten S/S Pollux UM023715 Ship Portrait Literature: Antique & Auction. Article in July/August 1978. Brockman, Ann-Marie: Proudly Ships. Yearbook 1975 Varberg Museum. Engstrand, Lennart, Wanken, Marie: Fruit from foreign countries. 2002. Eriksson, Ulf, Klasson, Gunnar: The Story of Uddevalla. Uddevalla 1995. Handel, Sture: Scout paintings. 1996. Kristiansson, Sten: History of Uddevalla City, Part III, 1806-1863. Uddevalla 1956. Thorburn, Bertil: Willm Thorburn’s Sons. A leaf from the history of Swedish oat exports. Uddevalla 1951. Webe, Gösta: Nautika. Sea-historical yearbook 1985-1986, p. 263-264.