Minimal amount -2. (M).
In 1888 there were hardly any reports of ice other than in the Straits of Belle Isle and on the coast of Newfoundland, though a few reports show one or two bergs and a little field ice off soundings, but it is hardly worth mentioning,…. (#930.
NYMR (except as noted):
January/February
Jan 31 SS “Maine” 4520’N 5010’W, 2 bergs, 1 very large.
Feb No bergs have been reported for February, 1888. This fact constitutes a noteworthy feature which is unparalleled in the 6 year February ice-record of this office. The quantity of field ice reported was also largely deficient, when compared with the average for the month. (MWR).
March
Mar Mr. [John] Higgins observer at St. John’s reports “Ice on the land on the 4th and 5th, driving off on the ?… harbour blocked with ice, which extended as far as [the eye could reach]; 10th to 16th, harbour blocked with .. ice driving in again; 25th, ice driving off slowly .. packed in on land; 30th, ice driving off fast.” (MWR).
Mar 1 SS “Oregon” rounded the southernmost field ice in 4638’N 4726’W, and in 47-‘N 4656’W passed field ice and several large pieces.. . (MWR).
Mar 2? SS? “Chateau Leoville” passed ice fields and pieces of [ice] 4350’N 5210’W. (MWR).
Mar 3 SS “Portia” reported [field ice ?] along the southeast coast of Newfoundland and east coast of Cape Breton and St. Pierre. (MWR).
Mar 4? SS? “Colima” passed 2 ice floes in —N, 5926’W. (MWR).
Mar 9 SS “Newfoundland” at Halifax from St. John’s passed through 80m of Gulf ice and damaged propeller.
Mar 13 SS “Colina” 4am, 30m north of Sable Island passed 2 floes of field ice ~ 300′ wide each; at 7am 33m to the westward passed 2 more floes of ice ~1m long.
Mar 16 SS “Vancouver” 4356’N 5602’W saw heavy field ice, passed through it thence to Cheebuctoo, NS.
Mar 22 Heavy close packed ice moved south of St. John’s. (MWR).
Mar 22 SS “Milanese” 4230’N 5037’W saw field ice to the northward. (MWR).
Mar 22 SS “Panama” Cape Race bearing 20m NW, passed an enormous berg and large ice field. (MWR).
Mar 23 4221’N 5315’W a small patch of field ice.
Mar 29 Heavy close packed ice moved south of St. John’s. While the general drift of ice reported off Newfoundland was southerly, during the prevalence of strong easterly winds in the middle portion of the month it packed in close to the shore, blocking vessels until dispersed by westerly winds. Interspersed with the field ice many bergs were observed. Compared with the record for corresponding months of previous years, the quantity of ice reported for this year was largely deficient. Reports do not show that a general breaking up of ice massed along the Labrador coast had occurred by the close of the month, or that vessels had effected the passage of the Belle Isle strait, which facts indicate an unusual delay in the annual southern movement of the Arctic ice fields.(MWR).
April
Apr Mr. John Higgins, observer at St. John’s reports “Ice on the coast 13th to 18th; moving off 19th to 24th; cleared off 27th; driving in 28th to 30th.” (MWR).
Apr 1 SS “Pontiac” passed 20 – 30 bergs between St. John’s and Cape Pine. (MWR).
Apr 2 SS “Austrian” passed large quantities of ice from 46N 5230’W to St. John’s. (MWR).
Apr 4 SS “Dorian” 4140’N 4910’W encountered a large ice field and steered southerly for 13½ hours when the western edge of the field was abeam. (MWR).
Apr 5 SS “Michigan” 4133’N 50W, 1 moderate sized berg. (MWR).
Apr 7 SS “Austrian” between St. John’s and Cape Race passed ~40 bergs. (MWR).
Apr 13-14 SS “Bengore Head” 4740’N 40W loosely packed field ice and next day 4632’N 52W field ice. (MWR).
Apr 14-15 Bark “Lillian B. Jones” 4606’N 5346’W, 1 large berg and next day 4655’N 5245’W heavy field ice. (MWR).
Apr 17 Heavy close packed ice blockaded the coast at Cape Race. (MWR).
Apr 18 SS “Portia” from New York for St. John’s was struck by a heavy gale and put into Trepassey. She was jammed in the ice but not damaged.
Apr 19 SS “Boston City” reported the coast of St. John’s almost completely blocked with ice. (MWR).
Apr 21 Schooner “Rambler” jammed in the ice between Cape Spear and the Northern Head of Petty Harbour. Abandoned but later towed to St. John’s.
Apr 24 SS “Portia” from St. John’s to Cape Race passed large quantities of heavy field ice and a great number of bergs. (MWR).
Apr 26 SS “Nova Scotia” from 4631’N 5302’W to St. John’s, several bergs. (MWR).
Apr 27 SS “Vancouver” off Cape Race, icefields; 4720’N 5954’W field ice. (MWR).
Apr 28 SS “Glendale” at Boston from Dundee encountered great quantities of field ice off Newfoundland [Cape Race]; 30th, 50m W of St. Pierre Island met fields of ice extending as far as Scotia (Scatari) Island, a distance of 100m.
Apr 29 Large quantities of Arctic ice and bergs off Bacalhao [sic] Island. (MWR).
Apr 30 SS “Lake Huron” 75m WSW of Cape Race, 1 berg. (MWR). Apr 30 SS “Nova Scotian” between Cape Spear and Cape Race, several bergs and field ice. (MWR).
May 1 SS “Saale” 48N 26(?)W a large berg.
May 5 SS “St. Pierre” from Halifax to St. Pierre put into Cow Bay damaged by ice.
May 6 SS “Boston City” at Portland from Liverpool via St. John’s with one of her plates broken by ice.
Jun 12 Schooner “Dove” was crushed by ice off St. John’s. (#93).
Jun 12 (Prior to) Schooner “Dove” crushed by ice off Cape John, Newfoundland.
(seems to have been some ice along the east coast in May).
Aug 3 Mission ship “Harmony” 6 weeks from London within 80m off Hopedale in fog and bergs but no mention of drift ice. (EW).