1849 Season
Dec 19 The Schooner “Barbara Ann” from Halifax, which place she left on the 19th of December, 1848 appeared off this Harbour on Wednesday week last, and getting entangled with the ice was obliged to take shelter between Governor’s Island and Point Prim; they threw over their anchor, and endeavoured to hold on, but the ice pressing so heavily upon it, it gave way and was lost. The next morning the wind came round to the North West, and broke up the fields of ice, and they were then enabled to get out and run away for Georgetown, where she arrived on Friday night, and now lies safely moored at Georgetown Wharf. (Ex 9 Jan 1849 p3 c2)
Jan 29 SS “United States” fell in with a large quantity of floating ice between Cape Race and Cape Breton, carried away the buckets and part of the wheel house. (SCL).
Feb 17 Issue: Immense fields of ice in passing the Gulf of St.Lawrence. (SCL).
Feb 21 Vessel unable to get into Halifax because of ice. (SCL).
Mar 16 Issue: The SS “Falcon” (screw driven) left Halifax at noon on the 8th instant. Immediately after clearing Halifax harbour fell in with heavy ice and obliged to steer through it 60m south of Sable Island. On morning of 9th cleared the Nova Scotia ice. On the 11th fell in with Newfoundland ice off Cape St. Mary’s and steered through it to Cape Bollard when at 4 am on the 12th the wind sprang up from the north east and jammed the ice in with the shore. Seeing no possibility of making any progress, wore ship to the southwest, steamed through ice 60m and rounded it at 8am on the 13th. Saw Cape St. Mary’s at 4 pm and found the shore clear to St. John’s. (PL).
Mar 17 “Mazeppa” driven ashore by ice near the entrance of Halifax Harbour. (LL)
Apr 21 Loss of a passenger in the ice and upwards of 150 lives: The Quebec Morning Chronicle of the 12th inst., says the Brig “Hannah” Shaw, from Newry, on passage for Quebec, was lost the 21st of April, coming in contact with ice. The Capt., the first and second mate and a few others, left the ship in life boats immediately, finding the ship was going down. Capt. Marshall from Gloucester, rescued a number of passengers. Capt. Marshall reports that on Apr 20th, he was detained by ice 50 miles, SE of St. Paul’s Island, until May 2nd, when Cape Ray bore S E by E, a distance of 27 miles. April 29th, a strong gale SSE and thick sleet, the ship laying to windward of the ice. When now cleared I discovered a disaster flag on the ice. Succeeded in getting 52 people on board, leaving a large number on the ice. Succeeded taking 30 more in the long boat, totaling 129 passengers and six seamen. No one can describe the pitiable situation and destitution. Children with loss of parents and they themselves all but naked and the greatest part of them frost bitten. I am informed that 66 perished. (The Cape Breton Spectator 1849 from Early Cape Breton Newspapers 1992 p67)
Apr ~24 Quebec: The “Annie” was seen in the ice off St. Paul’s about Apr 24 by the “Caledonia”, arrived at Montreal. Several other vessels mentioned over the next little while sunk by the ice in the gulf or of Anticosti and often with no locations. (LL May 7)
Apr 29 Captain Marshall, of the bark Nicaragua, from Gloucester, arrived this morning, brought up part of the crew and some of the passengers of the brig Hannah, of Maryport, Captain Shaw, which sailed from Newry, 3rd April, for Quebec, and which came in collision with the ice at 4 o’clock on the morning of the 29th April, when the passengers were in bed, foundering in about 40 minutes after. The captain, 1st and 2nd mates, and a few others left the ship in the life boat immediately on finding that their ship was going down. Captain Marshall reports: April 20th, passed through a field of ice 50 miles southeast of St. Paul’s. From the above date, was detained by the ice until the 2nd May, when Cape Ray bore southeast by east, distance 27 miles. April 29; strong gale from the south southeast and thick of sleet. Ship lying to windward of the ice. At 6:30 P.M., the snow cleared away, when I discovered a flag of distress on the ice; made sail and prepared to take the ice, by putting the ice fenders down. At 7, put the ship in the ice and succeeded in getting about 52 people on board, leaving a large number still on the ice. Cleared up all sails and got a rope fast to a pan of ice and succeeded in taking 30 more into the ship’s long boat, which they found on the ice, making in all 129 passengers and six seamen. No pen can describe the pitiable situation and destitution of these passengers, parent with loss of children, children with loss of parents, and they themselves all but naked, and the greater part of them frostbitten. I am informed that 25 perished with the cold. On the 30th April, spoke the bark Broom, of Glasgow, who received on board 27 of the passengers, also the Lord Byron, of Glasgow, who received 17, and the bark Aldebaran, of Newcastle, 22. On the 2nd May, spoke the bark Port Glasgow, of Poole, who received 20 more. Names of passengers still on board: William Anderson, wife and four children; William Tadford, wife and one child; Alexander Thompson, wife and four children; John Murphy, wife and four children, David Gurwin and wife, Patrick McGill, Joseph Murphy and wife, Dr. William Graham, Peter McFearline, orphan. Names of the seamen: John Offin, John Smith, John Parker, Richard Harvin, Alexander Harris and David Jordan. The Margaret Pollock, arrived this morning [May 12], picked up the captain and part of the crew of the brig Hannah, also saw, on the same day, another brig go down, crew saved by the brig Reward, of Sunderland. Captain Beveridge of the barque Royalist, arrived last Friday, gives an account of the immense quantity of ice that he saw on his passage out. On the 23rd ultimo, he had his bow port stove in by it, and had to throw over some coal to lighten his ship’s bow in order to stop the leak. Captain Payne, of the Paragon, arrived on Saturday night, reports having seen and passed through great quantities of ice. Spoke the Britannia, in the ice, on the 24th ultimo; on the 3rd instant, lost his jib-boom, and had his sails split. Captain Key, of the bark Marchioness of Abercorn, reports that on the 24th ultimo, at 7 P.M., Thomas Ford, seaman, fell from the foreyard and broke his thigh. He died about 5:38 next morning. (QG #7046 14/05/1849 P3, Col.1B)
May 11 Quebec: ~20 vessels in the ice between Bird Is. and Cape Ray. (LL)
May 14 The bark “Queen Victoria” arrived yesterday, brought up the crew, 15 in number, of the bark Vesperus, lost in the ice. (MC Wednesday 16th May, 1849 P2 C6c)
May 18 Halifax: A vessel from Great Britain to Quebec struck the ice near Ingonish, CB and out of 200 passengers on board, only 9 were saved. A ship from England to Montreal is reported to have struck the ice near Cape St. George and sunk. (LL).
May 30 Issue: – reports of vessels, including brig “Coverdale” going down in the ice in the Gulf. (SCL).
May 31 Leith: The “Pomona” arrived at Mirimachi from this port, was in the ice 16 days and saw 100 sail completely beset in it. (LL).
Jun 5 Accounts of several disasters in ice near St. Paul’s Is late Apr early May. (RG).