Charts 1913

January/February

Jan — (early) SS “Kite” sailed [from St. John’s ?] for Conche but was unable to get further north than Catalina owing to the ice blockade. (NW).
Jan 9 SS “Oriflamme” 4837’N 3442’W berg 40′ high, 400′ long. (JH).
Jan 20 SS “Sardinian” 4846’N 4950’W skirted light field ice and kept sight of it until entering the port of St. John’s.
Jan 30 SS “Cameronia” 45N 4818’W a berg surrounded by field ice.
Feb 9 SS “Valturno” 4535’N 5342’W to 4229’N 55W saw slob ice ~1″ thick.
Feb 15 SS “Purelight” from Shields 4743’N 4659’W, 6:30 am passed large broken ice fields with lumps of ice from 1 to 2 meters thick; from 8 o’clock steered southward along the edge of the ice, from 4 to 8 pm, steered westerly, at 5:30 pm passed southernmost part of ice; at 4606’N 4717’W lost the ice.
Feb 17 SS “Arkansas” 4649’N 4725’W saw a large ice field; 4611’N 4727’W a berg ~100′ long and 30′ high; 4546’N 4835’W several small pieces of ice.
Feb 17-18 SS “Manchester Port” 4739’N 4312’W passed 2 large bergs; 18th, 4626’N 4755’W passed through heavy field ice, having to alter course south for 60m in order to find passage to the westward.
Feb 17-21 SS “Mongolian” 4620’N 4735’W entered fields of slob ice in streaks running north and south; 18th, 4556’N 4742’W cleared the ice; 20th, 4427’N 6005’W entered ice ~1′ or 18″ thick extending in a NE and SW direction; 21st, 4417’N 6055’W cleared the ice.
Feb 20 SS “Potomac” 4735’N 4805’W to 4635’N 4804’W steamed through field ice.
Feb 21 SS “Mexicano” 4810’N 4918’W encountered field ice. Ran SE and S for 92m along the edge of the ice before reaching the southernmost point of it; then steamed SW 36m, clearing the ice in about 4552’N 4830’W.

March

Mar 2 SS “Mineric” from Port Talbot 47N 47W passed 2 large bergs and field ice as far as the eye could see; was obliged to steer to the south for 3 hours in order to clear it.
Mar 3 SS “Sally Maersk” 4850’N 4358’W encountered heavy field of ice; passed along and through several smaller belts of ice to 4905’N 4308’W. The main body of pack ice was lying in a NW and SE direction; very heavy, being in some places 6 or 7′ above water with no end to be seen and no clear water back of it. During the day saw 5 large and 1 small berg. The large bergs were ~200′-300′ long and 50′-80′ high. 1 was 100′ high. The small berg was ~60′ long and 20′ high and had 3 peaks. All the bergs were drifting south ~15 knots per hour through the field ice.
Mar 11 SS “East Point” 4505’N 4529’W entered field ice and in 4457’N 4856’W cleared ice; 12th, 4568[!]’N 5213’W entered field and slop [sic] ice to Cape Race, and light patches to Cape Spur [sic].
Mar 16 Halifax: Sealing SS “Lloyds” which left here recently struck a submerged rock while forcing her way through ice and was so seriously damaged had to be abandoned. SS “Labrador”, another of the sealing fleet, sprung a leak & was beached at St. Mary’s Bay.
Mar 17 SS “Arabic” 4731’N 44W a small berg.
Mar 18 SS “Cervona” 4310’N 4913’W saw 2 small bergs ~1m to the southward and several pieces of field ice to the northward.
Mar 19 SS “Cymric” 4257’N 4915’W passed 2 bergs and 3 detached pieces.
Mar 21 SS “Singapore” from Calais 4438’N 44?16’W passed a berg 15′-20′ high and 200′ long.
Mar 22 SS “Venango” 4240’N 4954’W saw 2 large bergs ~8m apart, the largest being in about 4233’N 4953’W and ~200′ high. The smaller berg was about 100′ high.
Mar 23 SS “Ellse Marie” 4432’N 4542’W saw 3 large and 2 small bergs. The large bergs were ~100′ high and from 450′-500′ long.
Mar 23 SS “Lakonia” 4625’N 4228’W passed a small berg.
Mar 23 SS “Patricia” 4442’N 4540’W to 4506’N 4435’W passed several bergs and growlers.
Mar 23 SS “Templemore” 4613’N 4245’W; 4539’N 4439’W; 4513’N 4542’W and 4504’N 4606’W saw bergs.
Mar 23-24 SS “Letitia” 4442’N 4540’W saw a small berg; 4457’N 4454’W, 3 bergs; 24th, 4502’N 4445’W a growler; 4506’N 4435’N, 3 bergs and a growler; 4605’N 4244’W a growler.
Mar 24 SS “Grampian Range” 4512’N 4225’W saw 3 medium sized bergs.
Mar 24 SS “Floride” 4621’N 3405’W berg 60′ high, 200′ long. (JH).
Mar 25 SS “Caledonia” 46N 4150’W passed bergs.
Mar 26 SS “Willehad” 4418’N 4428’W saw a berg ~ 200 meters long.
Mar 26-27 SS “Kursk” 4625’N 4226’W passed a small berg passed a small berg; 27th, 4510’N 4432’W a large berg.
Mar 27 SS “Purelight” 4630’N 4340’W passed a medium sized berg and several small pieces of ice from 40′-60’in area and ~6′ high.
Mar 28 SS “Caledonia” 4550’N 4207’W passed 2 bergs ~60′ high.
Mar 29-30 SS “Taurus” 4542’N 4430’W & 4456’N 4852’W passed several large bergs. Mar 30 SS “Wakefield” from Narvik to Philadelphia 46N and from 48W to 49W sighted 4 large and 3 small bergs and a small patch of field ice.

April

Apr — SS “Volturno” 4230’N 49W sighted a berg.
Apr 1 SS “Queen Wilhelmina” from Middlesborough to Baltimore between 4616’N 4518’W and 4604’N 4641’W passed a number of bergs.
Apr 2 SS “Oscar II” 4534’N 4122’W saw a berg.
Apr 2 SS “Athenia” 4536’N 4124’W saw a berg; 4554’N 4108’W a berg; 4546’N 4103’W a large berg.
Apr 10 “Seneca”: 2 bergs reported, 1 in 4411’N 4836’W; the other in 4407’N 4832’W.
Apr 11 SS “Beckenham” 4931’N 4605’W passed a berg ~30′ high and 100′ long; also several pieces of ice; 4920’N 4630’W a berg ~100′ high and 300′ long; 4905’N 47W a berg ~120′ high and 300′ long.
Apr 13 “Seneca”: 4250’N 4910’W no ice.
Apr 15 “Seneca”: 4436’N 4809’W sighted a large berg and another 11m west.
Apr 16 Canadian Signal Service reports as follows: Flat Point, heavy open ice everywhere 5m off, moving E; Point Amour, light close packed ice inshore, moving W; Belle Isle, heavy open ice distant, moving E; 2 bergs. SS “Lintrose” from Port aux Basques for Sydney reports, met ice 14m from Channel Head, SW by W; loose all the way to Flat Point. SS “Bruce” from Port aux Basques reports, came through 65m of ice, some heavy pieces.
Apr 16 SS “Virginian” 4724’N 4313’W to 4625’N 47W saw 1 large, 6 medium sized and 1 small berg; also several small pieces of ice and a growler.
Apr 16-19 SS “Mongolian” 4921’N 4412’W saw 2 large bergs ~60′-70′ high; 4917’N 4425’W numerous growlers; 17th, 4824’N 4722’W encountered field ice extending in all directions; dense fog continuing, stopped ship for 36 hours close to field ice; 18th, 4736’N 4728’W, 2 dangerous growlers; 4745’N 4734’W a large berg; 19th, 4744’N 4835’W a large berg.
Apr 18 “Seneca”: Several bergs reported around Flemish Cap and between there and Grand Banks; steamship lanes clear.
Apr 18 SS “Megantic” 4745’N 4550’W (approximately) saw 2 bergs and several small pieces; also, between 4746’N and 4735’N and 46W and 4625’W saw 8 bergs and 6 growlers, all low lying and dangerous.
Apr 20 SS “Scandinavian” from Portland to Glasgow between 4718’N 4630’W and 4801’N 4448’W passed 15 bergs.
Apr 21 SS “Morwenna” steered straight course from Cape Race to Scatari, sighting few strips of ice 20m off Scatari.
Apr 21 SS “Numidian” 4800’N 4443’W to 4714’N 4633’W saw 13 large bergs.
Apr 21-22 SS “Batiscan” 4752’N 44W saw a large berg; 22nd, 4530’N 4908’W a large berg.
Apr 21-22 SS “Montcalm” met no ice from Quebec down to position 65m SE of Cape Gaspé; 22nd, on course from Gaspé, passed 8m E of Bird Rocks, and from latter point to 9m NE of the rocks, saw no ice; from latter place to Burgeo Bank, 65m SE of Cape Ray, met only 2 light strips of ice 7m W of Cape Ray; westward of the latter point, no ice.
Apr 21-22 SS “Manchester Port” 4814’N 4434’W passed a large berg and continued passing large bergs and numerous growlers to 4730’N 4837’W; passed ~120 bergs in all.
Apr 22 SS “Bremen” 4724’N 4334’W saw a large berg; 4715’N 4357’W a small berg; 4705’N 4421’W a small berg; 47N 4448’W a large berg; 4642’N 4539’W a berg.
Apr -23 SS “Empress of Ireland” 4832’N 4413’W to 4742’N passed 22 medium sized and 5 small bergs and numerous small pieces of ice.
Apr 23 SS “Willehad” 46N 47W saw medium sized berg; 4531’N 4835’W a large berg.
Apr 23 SS “Sicilian” 4617’N 46W to 4702’N 44W saw 6 bergs and 2 growlers.
Apr 23-25 SS “Teutonic” 4846’N 4040’W passed large bergs; 4832’N 42W large bergs; 4755’N 4341’W, 1 large berg; 4750’N 4350’W, 1 large berg; 25th, passed heavy field ice 2m south of track and 36m E of Cape Ray; also 2 pieces loose ice north of Cape Ray and inshore.
Apr 24 “Miami”: No report of ice near lanes; passed large berg in 4450’N 4915’W; another in 4535’N 4835’W.
Apr 25-26 Canadian Signal Service reports as follows: Point Amour, heavy close packed ice everywhere, moving E; Belle Isle, heavy open ice distant, moving SE.
Apr 27 SS “Indrani” 4517’N 4607’W passed a large berg.
Apr 28 SS “Buenaventura” from Shields 4630’N 4347’W passed a large berg and several small pieces. The berg was 4m N, and NW of the berg was a white halo indicating field ice. Apr 29-May 1 SS “Arabic” 4837’N 4340’W to 4750’N 4527’W passed several small bergs and growlers; May 1, passed 47 bergs and growlers.
Apr 29-May 4 SS “Scotia” 4745’N 4830’W a berg; 4745’N 4730’W a berg; 30th, 4715’N 4815’W saw a berg and another in 4815’N 4715’W; May 2, 4745’N 4615’W a berg. 4th, 4715’N 4330’W another berg.
Apr 30-May 4 SS “Victorian” 4801’N 4443’W to 4635’N 4738’W saw ~30 bergs, numerous growlers and pieces of ice.

May 1 SS “Chiltern Range” 4639’N 4440’W collided with an iceberg 150′ to 200′ high and damaged bow plates.
May 1 4715’N 4417’W a small berg. May 1 4639’N 4440’W a berg.
May 2 “Miami”: No report of ice reported near lanes. On the tracks near and to the north of Flemish Cap much ice.
May 3-5 SS “Snowdon Range” from Pola, Spain to St. John’s 4720’N 4115’W, 3:00 pm, in a dense fog, way being off ship, struck a berg ~150′ high and as long as could be seen in the fog. No apparent damages sustained; sounded whistle when ½ ship’s length from the berg and heard a distinct echo; at a ship’s length no echo heard; stopped ship; 4th, 4740’N 4420’W 5:00 am, fog lifted; found ship surrounded by 11 huge bergs 100′-150′ high and from 1,500′-2,000′ long. To 6:00 pm passed 30 bergs from 150′-250′ high and 500′ to ½m long; also saw ~30 growlers or small bergs. Some of the bergs were bold and white, others quite black. Some bold and flat and others with high pinnacles; 5th, 4744’N 49W passed 5 large and several small bergs.
May 4 SS “Montrose” 46N 4722’W saw a medium sized berg; 4551’N 4730’W a small berg; 4555’N 4734’W a large berg; 4552’N 4752’W a large berg.
May 4 SS “Pisa” 4714’N 4616’W saw a berg ~53 meters high and 212 meters long; 4646’N 4656’W a berg; 4651’N 4720’W, 2 bergs; 4641’N 4743’W a berg 50 meters high and 1,050 meters long.
May 4-5 SS “Ameland” 4852’N 45W to 4745’N 4915’W passed from 80 to 100 bergs; among the bergs were numerous growlers and pieces of ice; some of the large bergs were seen at a distance of 25m in daylight and 4m at night; most of the bergs were sighted on the morning of the 5th between 47W and 4840’W.
May 5 Cape Race radio station destroyed by fire.
May 5-6 “Scotia”: 4645’N 4230’W and 4715’N 4430’W a berg.
May 5-6? SS “Manchester Engineer” 6th, 4856’N 4515’W passed a small berg; from this position to 5th, 48N 4830’W saw between 60 and 70 bergs of various sizes; in the latter position passed a large berg.
May 7 SS “Baron Ogilvy” from Cardiff 4747’N 4528’W to 4708’N 4807’W passed numerous bergs, growlers and field ice.
May 8 Point Amour: Light open ice everywhere.
May 11-12 SS “Frankfurt” 4808’N 4103’W passed several large bergs, several small bergs and field ice; also the same kinds of ice on 12th, 4639’N 4713’W.
May 13 St. John’s: SS “Kastalia” from Fowey Apr 30 for Botwood arrived here with bows damaged by ice.
May 13 SS “General Gordon” at St. John’s from Cadiz passed 33 bergs together with pan ice and many smaller fragments of the bergs within a radius of 5m on the Grand Banks.
Mission Ship “Harmony” encountered lots of icebergs off Labrador in September and October. This was the year’s second trip, no account of first given. (EW).