Ice Charts and Reports 1868

Maximum amount +2. (M).
Average volume. A very large body on the bank late in May. (GR).
Northern Ice at St. John’s arrive Feb 17 depart Mar 9. (GR).
At Ferryland, Feb 26 frost very severe, all the harbours caught over and all the ocean as far as could be seen until Mar 28. No drift ice in sight for the winter. Apr 1st, no ice to be seen again for the season, only icebergs. (JW in GR).
The slob arrived in Conception Bay on Jan 11th, one of the earliest known records. Large bodies of ice on the Grand Banks in May. Aug 2nd, the ice drifted into Croc Harbour, the latest record. (GR).
“Gales & Disasters, etc” column in SCL becoming shorter and frequently omitted. Checked through to 1872 and also 1875 – no further mention of ice. #704 – few entries for the year and these deal mainly with seal catches. No information on ice.

January/February

Jan 15 “Lulan” left St.John’s for Sydney 10th, put back having met with heavy ice in the Gulf. (LL).
Jan 21 SS “Etna” at New York from Liverpool passed a large quantity of field ice between Sable Is. and Halifax. (LL).
Jan 29 SS “Nestorian” from Portland to Lough Foyle 47N 47W passed a quantity of light field ice. (LL).
Feb 4 Issue: From telegram from Twillingate dated Jan 17 – “Ariel” frozen in since Dec 30. Bays and coast blocked with Ice. (PL).
Feb 4 Unknown vessel from United States wrecked at Mistaken Point about a week ago (cf below); also, SS “Diamond” not yet returned from the westward, supposedly by obstruction from ice (arrived 4th). (Newf.).
Feb 5 Mention of the “Ariel” (cf PL), also unknown vessel struck at Mistaken Point. Vessel was boarded from the ice by inhabitants from Chance Cove. (TGCG).
Feb 10 SS “William Penn” from London to New York 46N 47W passed through very large and apparently compact fields of ice. (LL).
Feb 13 SS “Deutschland” from Bremen to New York was in a large field of ice. (LL).
Feb 19 SS “Hansa” from Bremen to New York 45N 49W passed through large masses of field ice during a dense fog. (LL).
Feb 28 SS “Retriever” reports ice breadth off C. Spear at 130m. (GR).

March

Mar 5 St. John’s: There is a strong breeze from the WSW and the ice is moving off. (LL).
Mar 14 SS “Ariel” arrived from the northward where she had been so long confined by an ice-bound coast. (TGCG).
Mar 26 “Boston Lady” from Harbour Grace to Barbados struck a pan of ice and was run on shore on Saveydown beach with 4′ of water in her hold. Wreck, and part of cargo sold at Trepassey. (LL).
Mar 30 SS “Bloodhound” first back with bumper trip. General prospects good. (Newf.).
Mar 30 Greenock: SS “Bloodhound” has arrived at St. John’s from the seal fishing, a full ship; she reports the coast clear. (LL).
Mar 31 The “Eclipse” arrived from the Ice without seals having lost rudder. (PL).

April

Apr Frequent sailings from Twillingate starting early April. (#492).
Apr 3 “Oban” back with discouraging reports – 80-100 vessels frozen up in Green Bay without seals. (Newf.).
Apr 3 SS “William Penn” from London to New York from 46N 46W to 45N 49W passed a number of bergs. (LL).
Apr 6 “Daniel Webster” for New York 43N 49W passed 2 large bergs. (LL).
Apr 6 “J.P. Wheeler” from the Clyde to New York 44N 47W passed a number of bergs and some field ice. (LL).
Apr 9-15 “Johanne Marie” from Antwerp to New York 45N 47W fell in with a number of large bergs and remained among them until the 5th. (LL).
Apr 10 SS “France” for New York 53[!]N 51W passed a large berg. (LL).
Apr 23 “Eduard” from Hamburg to New York 44N 43W saw several large bergs. (LL).
Apr 24-May 8 SS “Flamborough” from Glasgow to Quebec 47N 44W saw an iceberg ~1m wide and of greater length; 28th, fell in with ice 35m SSW of St. Pierre and continued in it until May 8, when she had to run as far as Sydney to get clear; whilst in the ice 2 blades of her propeller were broken. (LL).

May 2 SS “Hibernian” at Quebec from Liverpool reports gulf ice from Cape Ray to St. Peter’s and south to 46N; found passage through, 4m wide, near Flint Island. (LL).
May 4 SS “Columbia” at New York from Glasgow made the northern passage in 39N 48W, was in the ice 12 hours and penetrated W for 35 hours, and in a NNE to ESE direction the ice presented from aloft an unbroken surface; steered SE 250m and crossed the south side of the Banks. (LL).
May 8 Quebec: Unusual quantity of ice at the entrance to the gulf detaining spring fleet. (LL).
May 11 St. John’s: The following vessels have been lost at the seal fishery in the Gulf of St. Lawrence: “Gazelle”, “Ceres”, “Ernest”, “Susan”, “Clipper” and “Billow”. (LL).
May 13-14 SS “Hibernian” from Quebec, 9th, for Lough Foyle saw a brig and a schooner in the ice in 47N 47W and on that day and the next met with extensive fields of closely packed ice and had to steer S to clear it; arrived 19th. (LL). May 15 Bgt. “Charlotte” 220m ESE of Baccalieu Island; she sailed 2 days along it. May 26th, ice on the bank. (GR).
May 15 The brigantine “Haidee” spoke the brigantine “Charlotte” for Swansea from Green Bay, 220m ESE off Baccalieu, sailing SE 3 days out under the lee of a jam of ice. (PL).
May 15 SS “Saxonia” from Hamburg to New York 47N 44W was surrounded by bergs and heavy field ice and was detained 12 hours. (LL).
May 18 SS “Pioneer” at Liverpool from Galveston saw large fields of ice from 45N 56W to 46N 38W. (LL).
May 21 “Arran” from Liverpool to Quebec between 46N and 47N 46W fell in with bergs; they extended N and S as far as the eye could reach, and were so closely packed that the vessel had difficulty in getting through them. (LL).
May 22 Sealing vessel “Deerhound” lost at the ice. (FGMM).
May 26 Barque “Majestic” from Shields to Quebec was abandoned in a sinking state 46N 46W having struck an iceberg and stove in her bows. (LL).
May 28 SS “City of Paris” from New York to Liverpool 46N 44W to 42W passed 5 bergs. (LL).
May 31 “Southampton” (Capt. Whitney” at New York from Liverpool passed several bergs on the passage. (LL).


Jun 2 “Weser” from Bremen to New York 44N 48W passed 3 large bergs, 250′ above the water. (LL).
Jun 4 SS “Iowa” from Clyde to New York 44N 52W passed numbers of large bergs. (LL)
Jun 5 SS “Worcester” at Liverpool from Baltimore 45N 41W passed a berg ~400′ long and 100′ high. (LL).
Jun 6-7 SS “Louisiana” from Liverpool to New York 44N 46W passed a large number of bergs, some of them very large. (LL).
Jun 7 SS “Etna” from New York to Liverpool from 44N 49W to 45N 46W passed a number of bergs. (LL).
Jun 10 SS “France” for Liverpool 42N 50W passed 3 large bergs. (LL).
Jun 11 “M.R. Ludwig” at Liverpool from Savannah 43N 45W passed a berg ~80′ above the water and ~3m long. (LL).
Jun 12 SS “Hammonia” at Cowes, from 44N 49W to 46N 45W passed numerous large bergs. (LL).
Jun 14 SS “City of Antwerp” at New York from Liverpool between 45N 46W and 44N 49W passed several bergs.(LL).
Jun 17-18 SS “City of Boston” for Liverpool 43N 49W passed a large berg; and another in 44N 45W. (LL).
Jun 26 “Annabella” at Liverpool between 46N and 47N, 47W and 44W passed several bergs. (LL).
Lost at the seal fishery, no date: “Gazelle”, “Courier”, “Eunice & Mary”, “William & Sarah”, “Sirveco” ?, “Active”, “Avon”, “Susan”, “Ernest”, “Flora”‘ “Clipper”, “Below” ?, “Nautilus”, “Belle”, “Ceres”, “Belle”, and “Mary”. (#511).