Charts 1915

In the “hard ” spring of 1915 when 7 of 13 ships at the ice fields got less than 500 seals each. (NW).

January/February

Jan 13 SS “Mongolian” 4741’N 5112’W a large berg; ~14m E of Cape Spear a large berg; 48N 51W to within 3m of St. John’s enormous patches of broken ice from 2″ to 4′ thick, some pieces 20′ across with numerous growlers among it; Jan 17th, from St. John’s to Ferryland lighthouse passed through heavy pan ice and 5m off Cape Ballard a large berg.
Jan 18 SS “Ferdinand Melsom” 4540’N 5003’W passed a medium sized berg.
Jan 19 SS “Larchmore” 4550’N 5014’W a large berg ~150′ high & 200′ long.
Jan 21-24 SS “Queen Wilhelmina” 4733’N 5004’W saw fields of ice of all sizes, soft and flat; 24th, 4653’N 5249’W a large berg apparently aground and 4610’N 5350’W a large berg.
Jan 23 SS “Etonian” 4556’N 5003’W berg ~500′ long and 80′ high.
Jan 25 SS “Stephano”, ~2m S of Renewse Rock saw a berg.
Jan 27 SS “Arabic” 4546’N 4937’W a large berg & small low berg 9m N.
Jan 29 SS “Adriatic” from Liverpool 14m ENE of Cape Race, passed a berg.
Feb — SS “Drammensfjord” from Leith, from 4646’N 4701’W to 4520’N 4840’W passed 2 bergs and a great quantity of field ice.
Feb 1 SS “Adriatic” 4649’N 4706’W to 4644’N 4725’W saw slob ice continuously.
Feb 3 SS “Oreland” 4802’N 4715’W encountered field ice; from this position steamed to 4635’N 4701’W, thence to 4522’N 48W and finally to 4505’N 4850’W before clearing the ice; in 4650’N 4712’W saw a growler.
Feb 4 SS “Mississippi” 4509’N 49W to 4515’N 4845’W passed slob ice extending north beyond the horizon.
Feb 4-5 SS “Oosterdijk” 47N 4710’W to 4625’N 4855’W steamed through slob ice.
Feb 5 SS “Hellig Olav” radioed, encountered field ice and numerous growlers in 4714’N 470?2’W, and a small berg in 4649’N 4909’W.
Feb 5 St. John’s: Ice is now coming down from Greenland waters in great quantities, covering the Grand Banks and sweeping southward toward the transatlantic shipping track. Steamers arriving from British ports report icebergs and floes extending nearly 200m from the east coast of Newfoundland.
Feb 5 SS “Hesperian” 47N 4712’W passed a large berg; 4714’N 4712’W encountered light slob ice with growlers which extended along the eastern edge of the Grand Bank to 4320’N 4920’W, the extreme southern edge of the ice.
Feb 6 SS “Mongolian” at St. John’s from Philadelphia for Liverpool became surrounded by ice floes off the coast and had to put back.
Feb 6 St.John’s: SS “Prospero” forced onto a submerged ledge by ice floes off the coast of Newfoundland, slightly damaged.
Feb 6 SS “Exeter City” 4547’N 4835’W encountered field ice and damaged.
Feb 6 SS “Philadelphia” from 4351’N 4831’W to 4345’N 4917’W passed through field ice, 30m wide, and extending NE by SW.
Feb 6 SS “Stigstad” from Newcastle to Baltimore 4318’N 4855’W passed field ice extending 25 or 30m.
Feb 6 SS “Orduna” 4509’N 4827’W entered large patches of field ice and 4455’N 4919’W cleared the ice.
Feb 6-7 SS “Canning” 4613’N 4713’W to 4526’N 4905’W passed through large field of slob and field ice; 4615’N 4717’W saw a small berg.
Feb 6-8 SS “Comanchee” 4404’N 4917’W entered field ice and 8th, 4339’N 4923’W cleared the ice.
Feb 7 SS “Niagara” from Havre, from 4420’N 4307’W to 4814’N 4920’W passed through an immense ice field.
Feb 7 SS “Minneapolis” 4646’N 4635’W encountered field ice covering a large area and extending south to 4355’N 5138’W in which position we passed through it. Saw a large berg in the ice field in 4612’N 47N.
Feb 8 SS “Arabic” 4451’N 4854’W to 4503’N 4814’W passed wide strings of heavy field and slob ice, extending north and south as far as could be seen.
Feb 8 SS “Vitruvia” 4446’N 4815’W to 4435’N 4845’W passed a very heavy ice field and pack ice for a distance of 25m.
Feb 9 SS “Kasenga” 4250’N 4920’W encountered a heavy ice field for 10 hours [see Feb 14 below].
Feb 9-10 SS “Megantic” from Liverpool 4322’N 4903’W to 4250’N 5015’W passed through heavy pack ice.
Feb 10 SS “Pretorian” at Boston from Glasgow encountered large quantities of drift ice about 140m S of Cape Race and was compelled to make a detour of 90m to the southward of regular course; the ice extended from 4557’N 4711’W to 4425’N 4857’W; also sighted several bergs.
Feb 10 SS “Maine” from London to Philadelphia 4632’N 4618’W passed a berg 100′ long and 40′ high; 4621’N 4702’W passed through 10m of field ice.
Feb 10-11 SS “Lodaner” from Leith 4717’N 4612’W passed through field of ice for 11 hours; was obliged to steam to the southward to clear it; later entered another ice field and finally cleared it on the 11th in 44N 4850’W. Feb 11 SS “Dunsley” at Boston, from 4440’N 4830’W to 43N 49W passed great quantities of field ice; the course of the vessel had to be changes several times and she finally had to run 80m to the southward to clear the field.
Feb 11 SS “Frey” 4817’N 48W encountered heavy field ice and proceeded in a southerly direction to 47N 4750’W when she cleared the ice; saw 14 bergs, some 200′ high in the ice.
Feb 11-12 SS “Frey” from Bergen, off Cape Race encountered a tremendous ice field and numerous large bergs.
Feb 12 SS “Rochambeau” 4340’N 51W encountered a broad field of ice, and 4340’N 5114’W cleared the same; in the latter position saw a small berg ~10 meters long and 3 meters high.
Feb 13-14 SS “Rangatim” from London encountered broken ice in 47N 47W and finally worked out of the ice on the 14th in 4538’N 48W. Besides flake ice, 3 bergs and several growlers were sighted. Steamer was unable to make Sydney, CB on account of drift ice in 4530’N 5730’W to 45N 58W.
Feb 14 SS “Kasenga” at Boston from Calcutta 4307’N 4920’W ran into a field of heavy ice and was forced to back out after it had almost surrounded the steamer. The position of the ship at one time was so serious that provisioned lifeboats were lowered over the side and preparation mad to abandon the vessel.
Feb 14 SS “Lackawanna” 46N 4719’W to 4531’N 4743’W saw heavy field ice and from the latter position to 4518’N 4842’W, 5 bergs and field ice extending southward.
Feb 14-15 SS “Cacique” 4812’N 47W saw 5 large and 5 small bergs surrounded by field ice ~2′ thick, extending at least 10m W and S of this position and 15th, 4715’N 4450’W a large berg ~200′ high.
Feb 16 SS “New York City” from Bristol 4443’N 4730’W passed a large berg.
Feb 18 SS “Amsteldijk” 4226’N 4844’W passed a berg surrounded by a couple of small pieces.
Feb 18 SS “Verona” 4214’N 4948’W passed 2 bergs, one 85′, the other 10′ high.
Feb 19 SS “Manchester Port” 4450’N 4845’W encountered field ice. Steamer entered the ice area during thick weather and worked out after manoeuvring for 4 hours.
Feb 20 Sydney: Steamers arriving at Louisburg from St. John’s report great fields of ice moving down the east coast of the island. The floe is extremely heavy and when the wind is on shore no shipping can enter any port. Capt. Couch of the “Adventure” reports having passed an immense berg 250m NE of St.John’s, off the Flemish Cap, directly in the track of trans-Atlantic shipping.
Feb 20 SS “Canadian” from Liverpool to Boston 4452’N 4723’W passed several bergs; next day, 4420’N 4830’W to 44N 4938’W passed a great quantity of field ice.
Feb 23 SS “Montreal” from London 4441’N 48W passed a large berg and 3 growlers.
Feb 25 “Seneca”: 4410’N 4847’W to 4901’W passed 2 bergs; 26th, 4348’N 5115’W, 1 berg; 4452’N 5121’W, 1 berg. No field ice in vicinity of tail of the Grand Bank.
Feb 25 SS “Virginia” 4403’N 50W passed a large piece of ice ~50′ long and 6′ high; also a small piece; 4402’N 5021’N, 2 more pieces of ice.
Feb 25-26 SS “Invertay” 4417’N 4842’W passed a small berg; 4405’N 4853’W passed a berg; 26th, 4350’N 5012’W passed a berg; 4350’N 5024’W passed a small berg & growler.
Feb 26 SS “Chicago” 4231’N 5034’W passed a large berg ~200′ long and 12′ high.
Feb 26 SS “Cambrian” 4324’N 5037’W saw 2 growlers ~2m apart.
Feb 26-28 SS “Skrymer” 4709’N 4822’W saw 5 bergs; 27th, 46N 4828’W field ice; 28th, 4520’N 4720’W field ice.
Feb 27 SS “Memphian” from Manchester to Boston 4330’N 4914’W sighted a large berg; 4327’N 5052’W passed a medium sized berg.
Feb 28 SS “Hans Broge” 4452’N 4850’W during dense fog lasting 2 days, encountered a tremendous ice field in which were several large bergs.

March

Mar — SS “Potsdam” 4025’N 47W a large berg.
Mar 1 SS “Thorsdal” at New York from Methil, from 49N to 44N 47W sighted an immense ice field.
Mar 2-3 SS “Siljestad” 48N 4830’W passed pack ice; 3rd, 4645’N 4825’W, 3 bergs from 30′ 60′ high.
Mar 3 SS “Tonowanda” 4458’N 4850’W passed a large berg, apparently aground; 4415’N 5058’W a medium sized berg. (This corrects previous reports.)
Mar 4 SS “Skrymer” at Boston from Stavanger encountered field ice off Grand Banks and was obliged to make a long detour south to clear it.
Mar 7 4025’N 47W a large berg was passed.
Mar 7 SS “Tonawanda” 4458’N 4850’W passed large berg; 4415’N 51W smaller berg.
Mar 7 SS “Baltic” 4025’N 47W saw a large berg.
Mar 7 SS “N.F. Hoffding” from 4616’N 4810’W to 4534’N 4944’W passed 5 large bergs.
Mar 8 “Seneca”: 4324’N 4932’W sighted a berg.
Mar 8 SS “Michigan” 4324’N 4932’W passed a large berg.
Mar 9 SS “Otta” at Baltimore from Shields passed 7 bergs and ice fields in the northern passage across the Atlantic. Mar 11-14 SS “Louisiana” for Boston 4913’N 4954’W passed through field ice ~1m wide and extending as far north and south as could be seen; 4843’N 5040’W several ice fields of various sizes; 12th, 4802’N 5120’W passed through very heavy ice extending in all directions as far as could be seen; toward noon,4734’N 5140’W, and in the early part of the afternoon, saw several open spaces in the ice; from 2 pm to 6 pm saw 8 bergs of various sizes from 2 to 8m from the track; 13th, 46N 53W reached open water; from 11 am to noon saw 3 bergs from 2 to 11m from the track; 4pm, 4550’N 5345’W again encountered field ice and proceeded through it for 9 hours; 14th, 4436’N 5918’W passed through field ice for ~ 2 hours.
Mar 12 St. John’s: The sealers “Diana”, “Erik”, “Terra Nova” and “Viking” which were caught in the ice floes off here
Mar 9, were still fast in the ice tonight and were being carried south.
Mar 12 SS “Lord Charlemont” for Baltimore 4335’N 4852’W saw a berg ~200′ long and 80′ high and 4329’N 4903’W a small berg ~30′ long and 10′ high.
Mar 15 SS “Ribston” 4416’N 4944’W passed 3 bergs, largest of which was 300′ long and 50′ high.
Mar 15 Schooner “Catherine C. Burke” 4506’N 67[!]15’W passed south of a large field of ice which was apparently not very heavy.
Mar 15 SS “Northwestern Miller” for Philadelphia 4459’N 4909’W passed a large berg; 4456’N 4918’W a large berg; 4444’N 5013’W a growler; 4441’N 5025’W a berg. 4 small growlers were seen in the vicinity of the bergs,
Mar 16 St. John’s: 8 steamers of the sealing fleet were caught in the ice 15m off Cape Bonavista, 80m north of this port appeared to be no chance of getting free until shift of wind.
Mar 17 SS “Marken” from Port Talbot to New York 4537’N 4837’W, 4538’N 4855’W, 4537’N 49W and 4534’N 4917’W passed 4 bergs.
Mar 20 Halifax: SS “Cape Breton” damaged propeller in ice off Louisburg recently.
Mar 20 SS “Wanaby” 3655’N 4832’W piece, supposed portion of berg, 5′ high, 60′ long. (JH).
Mar 21 SS “Lord Roberts” 4214’N 4753’W saw a large berg.
Mar 22 St. John’s: SS “Eagle” is jammed in the ice off the east coast of Newfoundland and is in danger of being crushed. A number of the sealing fleet are fast in the ice off Cape St. John. (crew of “Eagle” later returned).
Mar 22 SS “Caroline” 4240’N 4853’W passed a berg.
Mar 23 SS “El Dia” 4115’N 4730’W saw a berg.
Mar 23 SS “Bergensfjord” 4235’N 4950’W a small berg; 4220’N 4830’W a medium sized berg; 4220’N 4825’W a growler.
Mar 24 SS “Veendjik” 4238’N 4947’W passed a berg.
Mar 24 SS “Orduna” from New York to Liverpool 4237’N 4945’W passed a small berg ~10′ high.
Mar 24 42N 4820’W a berg was passed.
Mar 24 SS “Lusitania” 4314’N 4811’W saw a berg and 3 small pieces of ice; 4220’N 4815’W, 2 medium sized bergs; 4220’N 4821’W a small berg.
Mar 26 SS “Gerd” 4221’N 4908’W passed a berg ~500′ long and 60′ high.

April

Apr 2 4306’N 5011’W a berg was passed.
Apr 3 St. John’s: The largest of the steamers which left for the sealing grounds 3 weeks ago were ordered today to return to port as soon as they get clear of the ice pack in Notre Dame Bay, in which they have been jammed for the greater part of the time since leaving port. The owners admit the total failure of the sealing venture this season, with the loss of $200,000 spent for equipping the 14 ships and their crew.
Apr 5 SS “Feliciana” 4437’N 4808’W passed a large berg & 4m to the N saw a growler.
Apr 5-6 SS “Texel” from Cardiff 44N 4758’W passed 1 large and 2 small bergs; 6th, 43N 5027’W a large berg.
Apr 6 “Seneca”: 43N 5009’W a berg aground in 38 fathoms; find no ice further south.
Apr 7 SS “Harflete” 4633’N 4520’W passed a large berg; 4628’N 4609’W, 2 large bergs.
Apr 10 SS “Knutsford” 4411’N 4732’W saw a large berg ~8m to the southward drifting SSE.
Apr 8-12 “Seneca”: no ice east of Banks in Labrador current between 43N and 4430’N; position Apr 9, 4440’N 4920’N and on 9th, 7 am, a berg and 3 growlers; another 9th, 6 pm, position, 4454’N 4703’W; 12th, 4345’N 4937’W no ice.
Apr 9 SS “Goredijk” 4257’N 5008’W berg ~500′ high.
Apr 11 SS “Caterino” 4434’N 4624’W saw a large berg ~150’high with a single peak; 4453’N 4720’W a large flat topped berg ~50′ high; 4455’N 4752’W a large berg ~210′ high with a single peak; 4455’N 4807’W a large flat topped berg ~60′ high; 4435’N 4807’W a large berg ~100′ high with 2 peaks.
Apr 12 SS “Maartensdjik” 4214’N 4955’W saw a large berg.
Apr 15 SS “Saxon Monarch” from London 44N 4525’W passed a small berg; 4350’N 46W another small berg.
Apr 19 CG Cutter “Miami”, ice patrol vessel, 4317’N 3(?)018″w (50?) (ice pieces) evidently from iceberg aground in 43N 5009’W.
Apr 20 Belle Isle: heavy close packed ice everywhere.
Apr 21-24 “Miami”: Numerous bergs off Cape Race; 24th, 4636’N 4618’W a berg; 4453’N 4936’W a berg and growlers in sight.
Apr 24 4348’N 4842’W a large growler; 4339’N 4907’W a berg.
Apr 26 4123’N 4810’W a berg ~150′ long and 20′ high.
Apr 26 SS “Jacona” 4606’N 4714’W and 4606’N 4726’W bergs. Apr 27 Scatari: heavy open ice everywhere; Belle Isle: heavy open ice everywhere, 20 bergs; Cape Race: bergs east, south and west; Sydney: ~20m of close packed ice; clear water from that to Cape Ray; no ice from Cape Ray to NE end of St. Paul’s Is.
Apr 27-May 2 “Miami”: bergs sighted in positions 4607’N 4714’W, 4604’N 4726’W, 4541’N 4927’W, 4539’N 4934’W, 4215’N 4843’W, 4545’N 4705’W; 28th, 10 bergs sighted or reported between 4450’N and 4630’N and between 46W and 50W; bergs reported in 4211’N 5011’W; 29th, as follows, 11 bergs reported or sighted between 4450’N and 4630’N and between 46W and 50W; bergs reported in the following positions, 4215’N 4843’W, 4215’N 5011’W, 4230’N 5034’W; 30th, bergs, 4148’N 4742’W, 4146’N 4757’W, 4128’N 5038’W, 4254’N 5055’W, 4236’N 5031’W, 4252’N 5006’W, 4026’N 5030’W; May 2, 4215’N 5503’W a berg.
Apr 28 SS “Polymina” 4144’N 4725’W passed 4 large and 1 small berg.
Apr 28 SS “A.A. Raven” 4145’N 5143’W passed 2 bergs close together & ~75′ high.
Apr 28 SS “Quebra” 4146’N 4804’W passed a berg ~100′ high; 4147’N 4807’W a small berg ~15′ high; and 4130’N 4809’N a berg !75′ high.
Apr 29 SS “Philadelphia” from Liverpool 4128’N 5038’W passed close to 2 small bergs and some growlers.
Apr 30 SS “Manchester Exchange” 4153’N 5031’W passed a large pinnacle berg.
Apr 30 4216’N 5012’W and 4207’N 4818’W bergs were sighted.

May 1 SS “Galileo” from Hull 4225’N 51W passed a small berg.
May 2 SS “Randwick 4155’N 4844’W passed a large berg.
May 2 SS “Etonian” from Liverpool 4151’N 5142’W passed berg 45′ high, 150′ long.
May 4 SS “Sagamore” from Liverpool 4154’N 5142’W passed a large berg.
May 4 Belle Isle: heavy open ice, 20 bergs; Cape Race, numerous bergs.
May 5 SS “Seneca”: 4150’N 5042’W sighted 3 small bergs close together; 4328’N 4957’W a large growler.
May 5 Point Amour: field of heavy close packed ice everywhere moving eastwards; Cape Race, 20 bergs.
May 6 SS “Seneca”: 4416’N 4932’W large growler.
May 6 St. Pauls’ Is: light open ice; Cape Race, numerous bergs; Belle Isle, heavy close packed ice distant.
May 8 SS “Seneca”: 4219’N 5004’W large bergs and a growler.