SS “Imogene” left St. John’s Mar 8, through Narrows at 1155 am and met light slob 5 pm and loose open ice 8 pm course NE by N, 12 pm tight heavy ice; 9th, 5104’N 5302’W slow progress in tight ice, eventually stopped. 10th, 5145’N 5315’W close packed, several bergs; 11th, 5120’N 5423’W loose; general sealing area in loose ice between 4955’N to 52N and 5250’W to 55W, returned Apr 9. Left St. John’s Apr 25 for Montreal, no mention of ice until the Gulf. (#805).
February
Feb 2 SS “Gustave Schindler” 4640’N 4730’W passed a berg ~45′ high surrounded by loose ice field.
Feb 3 SS “Chatham” from Glasgow for Boston put into St. John’s with sundry damages sustained in heavy weather and ice.
Feb 4 SS “Magdalen” disabled by heavy ice off Arichat.
Feb 6 Warning from Hydrographic Office of dangerous bergs off the Banks. It is said that this is the first time since 1912 that bergs have been sighted so early in the year.
Feb 13 “Westerland” 4648’N 4709’W sighted a field of broken slob ice and was obliged to steer S for ½ hour in order to clear it; the ice extended northward as far as could be seen.
Feb 13 SS “California” 4720’N 4642’W sighted small berg; 4713’N 4635’W a growler; 20 minutes later and heading for Halifax passed through slob and drift ice.
Feb 16 SS “Jacob Maersk” 4750’N 4820’W encountered drift ice with pieces 10′ square and 5″ thick; the ice continued to 4725’N 4820’W, same ice conditions, with 2 medium sized bergs near latter position; no more ice observed after reaching 4650’N 4820’W.
Feb 16 SS “Emilie Maersk” was in 48N 5008’W and had been steering 245 through slob ice all day.
Feb 18 SS “Herbert Green” [presumably at St. John’s] drifted from her moorings into the ice but appears undamaged.
Feb 19 SS “Corner Brook” and SS “Kyle” frozen in at Curling and expected to remain there until spring.
Feb 19 SS “Emilie Maersk” from Swansea for U.S. collided with ice or wreckage 50m W of Cape Race, hole in port bow.
Feb 20 1 berg aground and field ice in the Straits of Belle Isle, off Cape Norman.
Feb 24 SS “Hannik” from Tyne for St. John’s put in at St. Pierre being unable to get through the ice.
Feb 24 SS “Caribou” shortly after leaving Port aux Basques for north Sydney lost a propeller blade in the ice.
March
Mar 2 4340’N 4820’W sighted large berg.
Mar 5 (from Boston): SS “Newfoundland” encountered ice off Newfoundland coast after leaving St. John’s and was obliged to skirt S as far as Virgin Rocks; several bergs and large sheets of slob ice were passed.
Mar 6-7 SS “Norefjord” 46N 4710’W and 4553’N 4716’W a large berg.
Mar 9 4835’N 4925’W, IIP should also read with heavy field ice in all directions.
Mar 13 SS “Salonica” at Boston 4448’N 4848’W passed 3 bergs, one 300′ high.
Mar 14 SS “Oluf Maersk” from Swansea arrived St. John’s with damage to bow plates through contact with ice.
Mar 14 SS “Caribou” broke another blade; heading for dry dock in St. John’s.
Mar 25 SS “Nord” from St. John’s to Port aux Basques put into St. Pierre leaking, slightly damaged by ice.
Mar 31 SS “Catalina” at St. Pierre from Newfoundland [St. John’s – I think] now delayed, having broken 4 blades of her propeller in the ice fields on her way from Newfoundland.
April
Apr 7 SS “La Crescenta” 4224’N 3422’W small berg ~20′ in diameter. (JH).
Apr 7 (from North Sydney): SS “Vedas” which had been held fast in the ice the last 15 days 40m N of St.Paul’s Is., broke clear.
Apr 12 Botwood: expect navigation to be open in 3 days.
Apr 25 Belle Isle: 5 bergs, scattered strings of ice off the Newfoundland coast.
May 2 Belle Isle: Heavy open ice in Straits, 7 bergs and 3 growlers.