Charts 1909

January/February

Jan 30 SS “Excelsior” at New York 4817’N 4455’W to 4746’N 4455’W passed through a large quantity of field ice for 60m.
Feb 18 Bark “Lavinia” went ashore at Chance Cove, 7m east of Cape Race in a blinding snowstorm. Probably be a total wreck. (no mention of ice!).
Feb 18 Bark “Lavinia” driven on rocks by ice Seal Cove Renews. (fgmm).
Feb 19 4716’N 4607’W filed ice in widely detached patches.
Feb 25 SS “Caledonia” 454(?)’N 4806’W passed through a quantity of field ice and near 2 small bergs; also, one large iceberg.
Feb 28 SS “Falk” 4730’N 4630’W passed a large field of ice extending for a distance of 50m. Mar 1st, 4430’N 4830’W 15 large bergs.
Feb 28-Mar 1 SS “Ulunda” from St. John’s to Liverpool 46N 49W passed large tracts of heavy field ice and continued doing so to 45N 49W when also 7 large bergs were sighted ~5m north and south of that position.

March

Mar — 4226’N 5023’W a huge berg.
Mar — 4515’N 4530’W a field of ice.
Mar — 4335’N 4850’W a large berg ?00′ long and 90′ high.
Mar 1 4522’N 4806’W a berg ~50′ high and 4 small bergs for ~5 hours.
Mar 2 45N 48W, 4 large bergs, each ~60′ high and 200′ long.
Mar 2 4340’N 4827’W, 3 bergs and a large quantity of field ice.
Mar 2 4316’N 5220’W some bergs some of which were 10 meters high.
Mar 3 49W and from 4820’N to 4740’W heavy field ice and 16 small & large bergs.
Mar 4 45N 45[?]W, 11 small bergs and several pieces of detached ice.
Mar 4 4606’N 4823’W, 6 bergs.
Mar 7 4348’N 4818’W to 4347’N 4850’W, 3 small bergs & a quantity of field ice.
Mar 8 SS “California” at New York 4645’N to 4537’N 4840’W a large quantity of ice.
Mar 10 4421’N 4824’W, 3 large bergs and a small one.
Mar 11 SS “Virginian” from Liverpool to Halifax 4226’N 5021’W, medium sized berg.
Mar 12 SS “Tamarac” at New York from Shields from 4730’N 46W to 45N 51W passed 50 bergs some of massive proportions and others less than 10′ out of the water; also passed through heavy field of ice to 46W and finally was compelled to steam 12 hours to eastward.
Mar 12 SS “Arkansas” at Boston from Copenhagen reported passing 3 large bergs south of Grand Banks.
Mar 12 SS “Raglan Castle” from Rotterdam 4447’N 4623’W a large berg and a small one 10m to NNE.
Mar 12 SS “Ryndam” from Rotterdam 4456’N 4633’W, 2 bergs; 4451’N 4651’W, berg.
Mar 13 4510’N 4625’W a berg 10′ high and 80′ long.
Mar 14 Halifax: SS “Bruce”, on her last trip from Port au Basque to North Sydney the mail steamer had her bow badly damaged by ice. Several of the plates were twisted out of shape and others were damaged.
Mar 15 4214’N 5050’W a berg ~200′ high and 300′ long.
Mar 16 4344’N 4432’W a large berg.
Mar 17 4432’N 45N to 47W, 6 large and small bergs.
Mar 18 SS “Florizel” when 260m from Cape Race sent wireless message of catch. SR
Mar 18 4156’N 5045’W a berg 50′ high and 200′ long.
Mar 18 4151’N 5021’W a berg.
Mar 18 4418’N 4504’W and 4416’N 4513’W, 2 bergs.
Mar 19 4145’N 5036’W a berg ~800 long and 50′ high.
Mar 19 4212’N 4622’W a berg.
Mar 19 4331’N 4810’W a berg.
Mar 20 “Evangeline” at Halifax from Liverpool reports such immense quantities of ice were encountered in the North Atlantic that she was forced to run 40m south of her course in order to get clear of the bergs. From the latitude of Cape Spear to the Virgins the field of ice was practically solid and south of the Virgins [sic] many huge bergs were seen.
Mar 20 42N 5044’W a large berg.
Mar 23 42N 4954’W a large berg.
Mar 25 4217’N 5227’W a large berg.
Mar 25 4355’N 4636’W a large berg.
Mar 25 4408’N 4628’W a small berg.
Mar 26 SS “Sagamore” from Liverpool to Boston between 4536’N 4410’W and 4516’N 4510’W passed 4 bergs.
Mar 28 4529’N 4455’W a medium sized berg.
Mar 28? 4526’N 4825’W for ~9½ hours, numerous small bergs.
Mar 29 4210’N 51W a large bergs and several pieces of ice. Mar 29 Schooner “Evelyn” met loose icefield and icebergs from Gibraltar to St. John’s. (FS).
Mar 29 4417’N 4925’W a small berg 1½m to the northward and 1 hour later 2 small bergs and several pieces of detached ice.
Mar 30 SS “Purelight” at Hamburg from Philadelphia with bow plates injured after collision with an iceberg.
Mar 30 4220’N 5050’W a medium sized berg.

April

Apr — 4742’N 4925’W a large berg; also an ice field extending from 4731’N 4951’W to 42?43’N 5125’W and extending as far as the eye could reach. In the field were 9 large bergs and several smaller ones.
Apr 1 4 bergs east of Cape Race station.
Apr 1 4218’N 5306’W a berg.
Apr 2 4318’N 4805’W a large berg.
Apr 3 4150’N 5018’W a large berg to the northward.
Apr 3 4152’N 5020’W a large berg.
Apr 3 4205’N 5019’W a large berg.
Apr 5 4202’N 5007’W a large berg.
Apr 5 4218’N 5040’W a berg 80′ long and 20′ high.
Apr 5 4242’N 5031’W a very large berg.
Apr 6 SS “Trafalgar” 3554’N 3147’W, 2 pieces of ice 18″ in diameter. (JH).
Apr 6 Cape Race: 12 bergs are in sight today drifting south.
Apr 6 4658’N 4145’W an immense berg; 4617’N 4220’W a large berg.
Apr 7 St. John’s: Sealing steamer “Virginia Lake” caught in the ice off the mouth of Notre Dame Bay and abandoned. 5 other sealers caught expect to be free tomorrow.
Apr 7 4213’N 5041’W a berg ~100′ long and 30′ high.
Apr 7 4347’N 44W a berg ~400′ long and 80′ high.
Apr 8 SS “Vanguard”, a sealer, was crushed in the ice. (JPA).
Apr 8 SS “Virginian Lake” lost her rudder and propeller and heavily damaged in raftering ice near Change Is., Notre Dame Bay. (NW).
Apr 9 4256’N 4806’W a large berg.
Apr 9 4226’N 5027’W a small berg.
Apr 10 4133’N 5101’W some field ice.
Apr 11 SS “Vanguard” broke main shaft and sank while at seal fishery. (SR).
Apr 11-12 SS “Vanguard” struck a pan of ice and broke propeller and shaft and began sinking in 4916’N 5210’W. Crew lifted off next day by “Algerine” and later landed at Catalina. (NW).
Apr 13 Cape Race: 6 large bergs in sight, in same position as yesterday.
Apr 14 4218’N 4740’W a berg.
Apr 14 4408’N 4829’W a berg.
Apr 14 4428’N 4818’W a berg.
Apr 16 4252’N 4514’W, 2 large bergs each 200′ high.
Apr 16 4303’N 4450’W, 3 bergs.
Apr 16 4337’N 4417’W a small berg.
Apr 16 SS “Frankfurt” from Bremen to Baltimore 4332’N 4320’W passed within a mile of a berg 30′ high and ~80′ long; 4321’N 4409’W passed SS “Pennsylvania” which reported sighting a berg 4230’N 4530’W.
Apr 18 4254’N 4508’W a berg.
Apr 25 SS “Caledonia” 4437’N 47W to 4420’N 4910’W passed 8 large bergs and a number of detached pieces of ice.
Apr 26 4150’N 4850’W a berg.
Apr 26 4157’N 4820’W a large berg.
Apr 26 4210’N 4755’W a large berg.
Apr 29 4416’N 4540’W a berg.
Apr 30 4317’N 4924’W a berg.
Apr 30 4320’N 47W, 2 bergs.
Apr 30 4414’N 4630’W a berg.

May 1 4323’N 4922’W a berg.
May 2 Sydney harbour practically blocked with ice.
May 3 Cape Race: A number of bergs are in sight today.
May 3 42N 54W a large berg.
May 7 SS “Lake Champlain” arrived St. John’s for repairs after hitting berg off Cape Race day before.
May 9 4730’N 49W heavy field ice and bergs extending as far as could be seen from aloft.
May 9 4815’N 47W several small bergs and pieces of ice. May 9 Halifax: Having passed many bergs, after a difficult passage through the ice off the Newfoundland coast SS “Siberian” arrived in port tonight from Liverpool via St. John’s. Captain said that never before had he seen so much ice at this season of the year. The northerly …. ? .. and even the southerly route is dangerous, as the ice is ?.
May 14 St. John’s: Enormous quantities of ice are reported on the Grand Banks and to the eastwards of Cape Race and along the north-east shore of the island.
May 22 New steamer “Florizel” which is to ploy between New York, Halifax and St. John’s sailed on her maiden trip. Especially constructed to combat ice. (SR’s report above correct ?).
May 25 Schooner “Electra” from Oporto to St. John’s crushed by ice floes off St. John’s. (PR).
May 27 SS “Reventazon” 3228’N 4410’W ice piece 60′ long, 10′ high. (JH).
(Ice appears to be very extensive in May).

Jun 6 Schooner “Geisha” encountered fog and bergs 150m to E of Grand Banks. Near the Newfoundland coast hit a berg, later hit a schooner, then finally another iceberg near Cape Spear and sank. JPA

Jul 22 SS “Regulus” collided with a berg off Cape Race and was badly damaged. (FGMM).