Just above normal +0.5. (M).
SS “Wolf” and SS “Windsor Lake” lost on the Funks due to ice pressure. (GW).
NYMR (except as noted):
January/February
Jan 29 SS “Royalist” 48N 45W large bergs.
Feb 1 Schooner “Amanda” from St. John’s(?) to Bahai, Brazil caught in the ice and abandoned. (FS).
Feb 7 from Halifax, dispatches from Newfoundland say the coast is still blocked with ice and vessels cannot get into St. John’s.
Feb 17 Schooner “Levonia” at St. John’s returned having been damaged by ice trying to get to Carthagenia.
March
Mar 5&6 Severe NE gales broke up the pack on which the seals were whelping. The “Vanguard” and “Ranger” were badly nipped but survived and the “Wolf” and “Windsor Lake” were both crushed in the ice and became total wrecks. (BL).
Mar 11 SS “Wolf (II)”, 8m NNE of Fogo caught in rafting ice and punctured. Sank a few hours later when ice loosened. (NW).
Mar 12 SS “Taormina” 4445’N 4710’W a large berg.
Mar 17 4630’N, 43W to 4430’W a dozen bergs & some detached pieces.
Mar 17 SS “Winsor Lake” bows stove in; abandoned ~20th. (JF).
Mar 20 SS “Damara” 46N 46W field ice.
Mar 20 SS “Bostonian” 4609’N 4318’W passed 10m S of 2 bergs.
Mar 21 SS “Ethiopia” 4640’N 4336’W a large berg.
Mar 21 4640’N 4357’W, 2 large bergs, one ~ 450′ long & ~ 50′ high; 10pm 3 other bergs 50m S of the above position. About midnight could discern glint of long stretch of ice.
Mar 23 The harbour of North Sydney is open and clear of ice and there was none to be seen outside.
Mar 25 SS “Windsor Lake” completely broke up by ice while sealing 60m E of Cape Freels; crew picked up by SS “Labrador”. (NW).
Mar 27 SS “Potomac” between 46N 47W and 47N 46W sighted an icefield 3m long and several bergs.
Mar 31 SS “Windsor Lake” was a total loss in the ice at St. John’s.
Mar 31 SS “Ranger” badly squeezed in ice at St. John’s.
April
Apr — 44N 45W an icefield 18m long and 17 icebergs.
Apr 1 Issue: SS “Hope” had shaft broken in ice off St. John’s.
Apr 1 at Halifax: a St. John’s dispatch says the disabled sealing steamer “Hope” arrived there, and reports several other steamers damaged by heavy ice and the sealing prospects poor.
Apr 4 SS “Brooklyn City” 4535’N 4808’N for 2 hours sighted no less than 27 icebergs of various sizes surrounded by pack ice.
Apr ~7 Schooner “Edward Blake” at St. John’s damaged by ice.
Apr 9 4520’N 46W, 2 small bergs.
Apr 12 SS “Coquet” encountered a field of ice 4020’N 4650’W and experienced mechanical failure. Attempts to tow her to St. John’s failed due to ice and was towed instead to Halifax.
Apr 13 SS “Persia” ~ 4353’N 4737’W, 4 large bergs and different small bergs.
Apr 13 4345’N 49W, 8 large bergs.
Apr 13 SS “Victorian” from Liverpool to Boston 4550’N 4530’W sighted 6 large bergs, all ~150′ high and 200′ long. Shortly afterward the steamer encountered heavy pack ice in 4450’N and was surrounded by innumerable bergs, most of them being very large. Captain counted 50 bergs at one time and many more were in sight, extending to the northward as far as the eye could reach. Got clear of ice in 44N 4910’W.
Apr 14 4325’N 4852’W passed 4 large and several small bergs.
Apr 15 4233’N 4851’W, 8 large bergs.
Apr 15 4312’N 4850’W a large number of bergs and also a great ice field.
Apr 15 4335’N 4228’W a berg ~120′ high.
Apr 17 SS “Glenlochy” from Glasgow to New York 4530’N 4740’W passed close to a large berg and 2 hours later, for 5 hours passed by quantities of ice including 35 bergs of various sizes.
Apr 18 (prior to) Sealing SS “Algerine” arrived at St. John’s in a badly battered condition. She was 10 days trying to reach port. Her bows are stove and sheathing torn away and is bound by chains to prevent her falling to pieces.
Apr 20 42N to 4250’N and 48 to 49W, 20 bergs from 50 to 250′ high
Apr 21 SS “Westernland” from Antwerp to New York from 4243’N 4945’W to 4225’N 5035’W, a distance of 35m, passed 35 large bergs and a large quantity of detached ice floating awash.
Apr 22 SS ” ? Foster” 4718’N ?35’W passed about 25 large bergs; also passed large quantities of field ice in which vessel was jammed and surrounded at 8pm and remained helpless till next morning and damaged.
Apr 25 SS “….vet” at St. John’s had ice damage, meeting heavy bodies of ice 150m off the coast.
Apr 27 from 4525’N 4827’W to 4226’N 5205’W 13 large icebergs and several lumps of detached ice. Apr 18 SS “Spree” ~ 4431’N 4635’W an iceberg; 29th, ~ 4320’N 5654’W bergs.
May 1 SS “Carthaginian” at Halifax, ice pack extends north and east from St. John’s as far as the eye can see -damaged.
May 1 & 2 Between 4345’N 4625’W and 4240’N 5230’W 13 large bergs.
May 3 (prior to) Sealing SS “Harvest Home” from Channel got jammed in the ice off Souris and drifted ashore at East Point, and lost.
May 4 St. John’s: the coast has been blockaded by ice for the past week. SS “Portia” is unable to leave. SS “Turret Crown” and a fleet of sailing vessels are anchored at various points along the Southern Shore unable to effect an entrance until the ice is driven off.
May 6 SS “Belgian King” at Boston 4330’N between 50W and 5307’W, 14 bergs, one about 200′ high.
May 9 4230’N 5251’W large berg 80′ high and 200′ long.
May 10 SS “Acadian” arrived St. John’s through the ice, damaged. Also the SS “Grand Lake”.
May 11 Cable steamer “Mackay – Pennett” 4310’N 49W a number of medium sized bergs.
May 18 Wood barque “Alice M. Claridge” from London to West Bay hit berg off Cape Race and sank. (IIP59).
May 19 Wood Barque “Valborg” from Liverpool to Pugwash abandoned 160 m off Cape Race, after hitting a berg. (PR).
May 19 SS “Norwegian” at New York sighted numerous bergs and quantities of field ice off Cape Race.
May 27 from St. John’s: Cape Race advises report 100 icebergs in sight. Local mariners say they have never witnessed such quantities of ice along the coast before.
Aug 19 SS “Moldava” from Cardiff to Halifax hit berg and sank somewhere in North Atlantic. (IIP59).