MG488 Log of the SS “Greenland”: Mar 7, left St. John’s; Apr 13, lat 5038’N, had been jammed for a few days. Last entry 17th (could be checked more thoroughly -in a hurry!)
MG489 Log of the SS “Labrador”: Mar 8, left St. John’s, headed north; 9th, passed Cape Bonavista, little slob, arrived Wesleyville; 10th, left Wesleyville passed Cabot Is., sheet slob; 13th, blasting ice; 14th, heavy sheet ice making small progress – 5043’N [course generally NE by N over the last few days]; 16th, ice very tight, ship jammed; 17th, sealing, ice getting loose; 20th, ship heading generally NW last few days and sealing; 23rd, heading generally E and ice getting looser; 29th, various courses over the last few days but generally westward, no positions; 30th, sighted Baccalieu and Cape Bonavista; Apr 5, sighted Funk Is., various courses over the last few days, ice sometimes loose, sometimes tight; 11th, been heading northward, ice thicker and tighter, ship jammed; 14th, heavy ice 4958’N; 15th, 5003’N; 22nd, ship jammed last few days; 26th, heading north, ice looser, sealing on and off; 27th, sighted Belle Isle, heavy ice; 30th, sealing, heading generally south; May 1, 5051(?)’N; 2nd, 4932’N making good progress south; 3rd, arrived St. John’s.
NYMR (except as noted):
January/February
Jan 18 Ship “Berengere” 4311’N 4615’W passed a large berg 10m to the northward; also a small berg 2m to the northward.
Jan 27 4648’N 4741’W a small berg ~15′ above the water and some field ice.
Jan 28 4645’N 4751’W a number of small bergs, much field ice and several pieces of detached ice.
Jan 28 4701’N 4653’W, 10m of field ice.
Feb Reports from early part of month from Sydney, Belle Isle and Point Amour all indicate milder than usual temperatures so far with little or no ice.
Feb 17 SS “Pontiac: from Shields to Newport News 4750’N 4820’W passed 3 bergs and on WSW course sailed through ~40m of field ice and thence to Cape Race frequent patches of lolly ice.
Feb 23 SS “Manchester Exchange” 4704’N 4621’W to 4654’N 4636’W passed numerous small bergs and some hours later several large bergs and a large quantity of field ice.
Feb 24 St. John’s: Incoming vessels report large bergs and extensive floes off the Grand banks; unusually late in reaching these waters.
Feb 27 St. John’s: This port was blocked with ice floes today, preventing ingress and egress of shipping. Reports from northern points indicate that the whole seaboard is in a similar condition. If the present weather continues the open sea south of Cape Race is likely to be thickly strewn with floes during the next 2 days, seriously impeding ocean steamers.
March
Mar — 4723’N -W a berg ~180′ high.
Mar — 4728’N 4328’W a berg 80′ high [same as above ?].
Mar 7 St. John’s: SS “London City” from Liverpool passed through many fields of heavy ice, extending eastward beyond the Grand Banks and directly in the track of ocean steamers. Sighted the SS “Dahome” and SS “Florence” both of which signaled that they had encountered heavy ice.
Mar 8 4421’N 4835’W moderate sized iceberg.
Mar 11 4350’N 49W berg 100′ high and 1000′ long.
Mar 12 4323’N 4852’W berg 60′ high and 180′ long.
Mar 13 SS “Kroonland” 4215’N 50W passed 12m south of a large berg.
Mar 15 42N 4843’W berg ~200′ high.
Mar 19 4258’N 4928’W a berg ~200′ high and 1,200′ long.
Mar 19 4327’N 4712’W a berg 200′ long and 100′ high.
Mar 22 4632’N 4236’W a piece of ice 20′ long and 5′ high.
Mar 22 Sydney: Light close-packed field of drift ice from Gulf of St. Lawrence has been present off coast Eastern Nova Scotia since 17th inst. Ice extends from vicinity Scatarie Is. to Cape North and is working southward. Gulf stations at Cape St. Lawrence and Magdalen Is. on the 19th reported heavy close-packed ice everywhere.
Mar 23 SS “Duncan” at North Sydney injured by ice off the coast.
Mar 23 4230’N 4926’W a berg 500′ long and 60′ high.
Mar 24 4150’N 4836’W a berg ~100′ long.
Mar 25 4215’N 4948’W a berg 300′ long and 100′ high.
Mar 26 SS “London City” from Halifax via St. John’s to Liverpool returned to St. John’s with bows stove by ice.
Mar 26 SS “Daltonhall” at Boston from Fowey 44N 45W passed a small berg.
Mar 26 4620’N 4311’W a large berg.
Mar 28 4201’N 5310’W a berg 500′ long and 100′ high.
Mar 29 4608’N 4205’W a berg 200′ high and 65′ long.
Mar 29 SS “Numidian” at Boston from Glasgow 4222’N 4948’W passed a berg.
Mar 29 Sydney: Light variable winds prevailing off the coast since the 17th have tended to retard the movement of drift ice from the Gulf of St. Lawrence. A large field extends from Scatarie northward off here. Gulf signal stations from Anticosti to Cabot Strait all report quantities of ice stationary up to yesterday. Mar 30 SS “Idaho” passed an unknown steamer which signaled that icebergs had been seen between 4230’N & 43N and 48W & 49W.
April
Apr 3 SS “Corean” at Philadelphia from Glasgow 4223’N 5023’W, 300m off Boston, passed a huge berg.
Apr 12 4338’N 4905’W a large berg.
Apr 15 4229’N 5008’W a berg 60′ high.
Apr 16 4156’N 5006’W several small pieces of broken ice.
Apr 19 4701’N 4419’W a small berg.
Apr 22 At the extreme southern edge of the Banks of Newfoundland, a piece of ice ~40′ long and very low in the water.
Apr 22 SS “Sicily” arrived St. John’s leaking badly, having had bow stove by collision with ice floes.
Apr 22 SS “Sicily” at St. John’s reported enormous ice masses with many heavy bergs spreading over the ocean in the track of transatlantic steamers.
Apr 24 4215’N 5058’W, 2 medium sized bergs.
Apr 24 SS “Anglo-Peruvian” from Shields to Philadelphia foundered at sea having been in collision with an iceberg on Apr 21. All on board saved and landed at Weymouth, May 4, by SS “Mohawk” from New York to Antwerp.
Apr 26 4201’N 5032’W a large berg 3m to the south.
Apr 27 4145’N 5101’W a small berg with several detached pieces around it.
Apr 28 4410’N 4945’W a berg.
Apr 28 43N 4830’W drift ice was seen.
May 1 4430’N 4905’W a berg 500′ long & 150′ high & 15m SW sighted 3 large bergs.
May 2 4558’N 4801’W a berg.
May 2 4706’N 4749’W a berg.
May 3 4445’N 4564[!]’W, 2 large bergs.
May 5 4726’N 4606’W to 4646’N 4747’W bergs and several small pieces.
May 6 4536’N 4806’W, 6 large bergs and several small ones, the largest being 400′ long and 70′ high.
May 6 4611’N 4945’W a berg.
May 10 4515’N 4553’W a large berg and a great quantity of detached ice.
May 11 4436’N 4830’W a large berg.
May 12 St. John’s: Incoming vessels report unusually dense fogs and many bergs, rendering navigation across the Grand Banks hazardous.
May 30 Issue: Due to the number of icebergs the main shipping lines have ordered their ships to cross 47N at 4010’W, eastbound. (original tracks resumed Jul 23rd.)
Jul 26 Wood schooner “Stella B. Wood” from St. John’s to Blanc Sablon, Quebec struck berg in the Strait of Belle Isle and sank. (IlP59).