Charts 1891

Just below normal -0.5. (M).
NYMR (except as noted):

January/February

Jan 28 SS “Kansas” 3 large bergs 3m south of Cape Race.
Feb Issue MWR: The easternmost ice reported was a large berg in 4433’N 4459’W on the 5th. The southernmost ice was floe ice in 4420’N 48W on the 22nd. On the 5th, 8th, 14th, 15th, 18th and 22nd Gulf ice was reported between Cape Breton Is. and Newfoundland.
Feb — SS “Sir Walter Raleigh” at Bremen and Bark “Georg Suppicich” at Bremerhaven report ice damage.
Feb 2 4523’N 52W field ice for 4 hours.
Feb 10 SS “Rugia” from New York to Hamburg 47N 47W passed several ice fields.
Feb 14 SS “Roman” 4710’N 4725’W heavy pack ice extending about 30m SSE
Feb 16 SS “Sarnia” at Halifax, heavy field ice at the entrance to the Gulf extending about 40m.
Feb 18 SS “British Empire” from London to Boston 4524’N 47W passed a berg and patches of field ice.
Feb 19 SS “La Bretagne” encountered a large ice field, at New York from Havre.
Feb 19 SS “Lord Gough” from Philadelphia to Queenstown 45N 47W passed an immense ice field; [another report]: 4546’N 4747’W encountered field ice heavily packed extending NE as far as could be seen and SW for 30m.
Feb 20 SS “St. Oswald” from Swansea to New York 4530’N 47W on the outer edge of the Banks passed a quantity of ice for 7 hours.
Feb 20 SS “Indiana” from Liverpool to Philadelphia 4526’N 4729’W to 4529’N 4648’W passed through old and new field ice.
Feb 21 SS “Nevada” from Liverpool to New York 4502’N 4706’W passed a small berg.
Feb 21 SS “City of New York” from New York to Queenstown 48N 57[!]W sighted immense ice fields lying across her course. The ice was too heavy to force her way through it and she was compelled to steer in a southerly direction to avoid the fields. During the voyage passed 10 large bergs.
Feb 21 SS “Anchoria” from Glasgow to New York 4515’N 4723’W passed south of a quantity of field ice.
Feb 21 SS “Charlois” from Amsterdam to New York 45N 4840’W passed a large ice field and had to steer to the southward for 8 hours to clear it.
Feb 22 SS “Virginian” from Liverpool to Boston 4705’N 4643’W passed a small berg; 4626’N 4710’W passed great quantities of field ice.
Feb 22 SS “Critic” from Leith to New York 4420’N 48W passed through a quantity of floe ice.
Feb 23 SS “Exeter City” from Bristol to New York 4453’N 4841’W to 4447’N 4856’W passed southward of field ice and through patches of slush ice.
Feb 23 SS “Mineola” for Bristol 46N 48W encountered ice.
Feb 24 SS “Spree” ~ 4546’N 47W several bergs.
Feb 24 SS “Ardancorrah” 46N 48(?)W ran into an iceberg. Badly damaged and all but foundered.
Feb 24 SS “Durham City” from London to Boston 4514’N 4730’W sighted an icefield 18m long and quite narrow.
Feb 24 SS “Spree” from Bremen to New York between 4555’N 4650’W and 4525’N 4802’W passed 2 large bergs and many ice fields and large pieces of ice.
Feb 24 46N 48W a berg.
Feb 26 SS “La Champagne” from Havre to New York 4645’N 4810’W saw a berg; 4640’N 4848’W passed an ice field.
Feb 26 SS “Pickhuben” from Antwerp to Boston 4520’N 4515’W fell in with heavy field ice and was obliged to steam SW and SSE for 10 hours to clear it.
Feb 27 SS “Belgenland” from Antwerp 4623’N 4540’W passed a small field of ice; between 4550’N 4533’W and 4546’N 4559’W passed a number of small bergs and small pieces of broken ice and a small patch of field ice.
Feb 28 SS “Kansas” from Liverpool to Boston 4550’N 44W fell in with large quantities of drift ice; 45N 4641’W passed through large fields of ice, among which were 3 bergs, one of them 1/4m long and 160′ high, the other 2 ~1,500′ long and 120′ high.
Feb 28-Mar 1 SS “Ottawa” from London to Halifax 46N 46W large ice floes were met and the steamer was headed south for several hours to clear them; Mar 1, 4520’N 4835’W, 3 large bergs were passed.
Feb 28-Mar 1 SS “Venetian” 4649’N 4615’W passed several small bergs; Mar 1, 4456’N 4837’W passed a large berg and a number of detached pieces of ice of large size.
Feb 28-Mar 1 SS “Lake Ontario” from Liverpool to New York 4630’N 47W passed through heavy field ice for 30m; Mar 1, 44N 50W passed a large berg.

March

Mar Issue MWR: The southernmost ice reported is small bergs and pack ice on the 20th in 4225’N 5030’W, and the easternmost ice reported, an ice field and bergs on the 24th is 49N 4344’W. The ice was generally confined to the east edge of the Banks of Newfoundland, although it was noted as far west as the east coast of Newfoundland. Mar 1 SS “Michigan” from Swansea to Philadelphia 4523’N 48W passed 3 large bergs and quantity of field and heavy drift ice, very dangerous to navigation; 4452’N 4845’W passed 2 large bergs, one of them ~600′ high and quantities of field and drift ice.
Mar 1 SS “Ryhnland” from Antwerp to New York 4630’N 4620’W passed an ice field 20m long and 2 bergs.
Mar 1 SS “St. Pancras” from Liverpool to New York 47N 45W passed through very heavy pack ice for 12 hours.
Mar 2-10 SS “Derwent Holme” from Hamburg to Philadelphia from 4803’N 4751’W to 41N 50W passed a number of bergs and quantities of field ice.
Mar 4 Issue: Ice is now moving in the North Atlantic Ocean southeasterly from Newfoundland in heavy masses. Steamers have been taking quite a northerly course, but as the ice is now daily pushing forward, prudence dictates that they resort to the more southerly route again.”
Mar 4 SS “Europa” from Hamburg to New York 46N 46W steamed through field ice for 129m under slow steam.
Mar 7 SS “De Ruyter” from Antwerp to Boston 4830’N 47W passed several bergs; a few hours later encountered field ice; heavy field ice also encountered between Sable Is. and the main land.
Mar 8 SS “Buffalo” from Hull to New York 4355’N 4840’W passed a large berg; 4335’N 4913’W passed another large berg.
Mar 8 SS “Milanese” at Boston from London 4334’N 4610’W passed 3 moderate sized bergs.
Mar 10 SS “Aller” from New York to Southampton 43N 50W passed a number of bergs.
Mar 10 SS “Ripon City” from Hamburg to Boston 4903’N 4503’W fell in with a vast field of ice and was obliged to steam quite a distance southward to clear it.
Mar 13 SS “Grimm” at Halifax from Hamburg 4440’N 4850’W passed an immense berg ~1½m long and 150′ in height.
Mar 13 SS “Rugia” from Hamburg to New York 4430’N 4850’W passed a berg.
Mar 16 SS “Boston City” from Hamburg to New York 4610’N 4724’W passed a large berg 100′ high and 600′ long, whale back shape.
Mar 19 SS “Halkar” 45N 4847’W small berg.
Mar 19 SS “La Bretagne” from Havre to New York 4240’N 5218’W met 2 bergs.
Mar 19 SS “Circassia” from Glasgow to New York 4341’N 4912’W passed some small pieces of ice.
Mar 23 SS “Thingvalla” at New York from Copenhagen 43N 79[!]50’W passed 2 small bergs.
Mar 25 SS “Caledonia” at New York, 20m S of Grand Banks 4 bergs, 2 of which were large.

April

Apr Issue MWR: The southernmost ice reported was a square, flat berg, observed on the 13th in 4001’N 4824’W, and the easternmost ice reported was a berg noted on the 20th in 4533’N 4332’W. Ice was most frequently encountered along the SE edge of the Banks of Newfoundland, but was reported westward to the Newfoundland coast. Large quantities of field ice in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and on the Cape Breton, east of Nova Scotia, and west Newfoundland coasts seriously interfered with navigation.
Apr 4 SS “Venetian” 4514’N 4615’W a large berg.
Apr 5 4638’N 4842’W several bergs.
Apr 8 SS “Elbe” between 4638’N 4656’W and 4625’N 4838W, 3 bergs.
Apr 9 SS “Columbia” 4335’N 4906’W a large berg.
Apr 10 4331’N 4958’W ice was seen.
Apr 10 SS “Chicago” from Hamburg to New York 4612’N 4540’W passed 6 large bergs.
Apr 10 SS “Ethiopia” from Glasgow to New York from 4430’N 4730’W to 4425’N 4742’W passed 2 large and 1 small bergs.
Apr 10 SS “Evaline” from Hamburg to New York 4330’N 49W passed 2 large bergs; 44N 47W passed an unknown steamer steering S who reported passed between 46N and 47N several large bergs and much field ice.
Apr 11 SS “Rydal Water” from Hamburg to Philadelphia from 4433’N 4730’W to 4420’N 4830’W passed 5 bergs, one 210′ high.
Apr 13 SS “Island” from Stettin to New York 43N 4950’W passed a large berg.
Apr 13 SS “British Empire” from London to Boston 4240’N 5001’W passed a large berg.
Apr 13 SS “Alexandria” from Marseilles to New York 4001’N 4824’W passed a berg ~400′ long and 90′ high.
Apr 13-14 SS “Lux” from London to Philadelphia 4420’N 4724’W passed a berg and several pieces of ice; next day 4410’N 4953’W passed another berg.
Apr 16 SS “Ethiopia” 4500’N 4535’W, 3 bergs.
Apr 17 SS “Suevia” ~ 4346’N 4610’W a large berg; 18th, 4241’N 5145’W a smaller one.
Apr 18 SS “Wieland” ~ 4259’N 4937’W large bergs.
Apr 18 SS “Wisconsin” from Liverpool to New York 4410’N 4750’W saw a berg; 446’N 48W saw another berg.
Apr 18 SS “Ville de Doual” from Calais to Philadelphia 4230’N 5035’W passed a very large berg apparently 350′ high.
Apr 18 SS “Maryland” from London to Philadelphia 4528’N 4730’W passed a berg 300′ high; 4509’N 4845’W a berg 140′ high.
Apr 18 SS “Robinia” from Bremen to New York 4530’W 4921’W passed a large berg.Apr 19 SS “Memphis” at Philadelphia from London 4523’N to 45N, 4651’W to 4838’W passed 10 bergs.
Apr 19-20 SS “Polynesia” from Stettin to New York 4545’N 4525’W passed a large berg; 20th, 4447’N 4610’W another berg & one of very large dimensions in 44N 4635’W.
Apr 20 SS “Guthell” at New York from Bremen crossed the Banks in 44N 50W; passed 4 bergs ~12′ high and 150′ long, very dangerous for passing vessels.
Apr 20 SS “Germanic” from Liverpool to New York 4538’N 4232’W passed a berg.
Apr 20 SS “Crystal” from Leith to New York from 4514’N 4712’W to 4448’N 4826’W passed 3 large bergs.
Apr 21 SS “Brilliant” from Bremen to New York 4412’N 4727’W passed a large berg 150′ high and 500′ long.
Apr 22 SS “Werra” from Bremen to New York 4215’N 5122’W passed a large berg 150′ high and ~500 long.
Apr 22-23 SS “Umbria” from Liverpool to New York 4416’N 4558’W passed a berg 1m north; 23rd, 4311’N 4815’W a berg 2m south; 4306’N 4839’W a berg 8m north.
Apr 22-23 SS “Chester” from Amsterdam to New York 4412’N 4828’W passed a small berg; 23rd, 48[43?]14’N 4814’W passed a large berg ~200′ high with 3 peaks to it.
Apr 23 SS “Alaska” from Liverpool to New York 4351’N 4647’W passed s mall berg and a large one in 4346’N 47W.
Apr 23 SS “Exeter City” from Bristol to New York 4209’N 4855’W passed a berg.
Apr 24 SS “Russia” from Hamburg to New York 4151’N 4856’W passed 1 large and 4 small bergs; 4143’N 5027’W a large berg ~150′ high.
Apr 25 SS “Augusta Victoria” at New York from Hamburg between 4440’N and 4430’N and 4840’W and 4853’W saw 5 bergs.
Apr 25 SS “Marsala” at New York from Hamburg from 4513’N 4826’W to 4501’N 4948’W passed 5 large bergs.
Apr 25 42N 50W large bergs.
Apr 26 SS “Charlois” at New York from Amsterdam 4346’N 4653’W passed small berg.
Apr 30 SS “Standard” at New York from Hamburg 4327’N 4702’W passed a small berg.
Apr 30 SS “Elbe” at Bremen from New York between 43N 51W and 44N 47W passed 7 bergs.

May 6 SS “Scandia” 4352’N 4812’W a small berg.
May 7 SS “Etruria” 4240’N 4820’W a small berg.
May 9 SS “Hans & Kurt” 44N 47W saw an ice field 40 – 50m long.