1869 Season
No mention of ice on Channel – Cape Ray area of Cabot Strait. (GR p.33)
Nov 20 Local ice formed Bonne Bay. (GR p.85)
Dec 7 – 24 Arrivals at Georgetown between December 7 and the 24th.” (Pat 26 Dec p3#3)
Dec 23 Northern ice arrived Bonne Bay. (GR p.85)
Dec 27 Local ice formed Bay of Islands. (GR p.88)
Dec 28–Jan 5 Ships arrived from Halifax and Bay Islands. (Pat 9 Jan p3#1)
Jan 4 The schr “Margaret” at Georgetown, PEI, 4th inst., reports “Octavia” passed through Gut of Canso on the 1st inst. E J Jordan, from Souris, also arrived at Canso. No ice in the passage across. (BC 20/01/1869 p3 #3)
Jan 6 Georgetown harbour was perfectly clear of ice on Wednesday last. (Pat 9 Jan p2#4)
Feb 4 Halifax, a large barque and two schooners, belonging to P E Island, are caught in the ice in the Straits of Northumberland. Some of their crews were ashore at Cape George on Saturday. (BC 04/02/1869 p3 #4)
Feb 4 Two mail boats crossed from this side to Cape Tormentine on Saturday last. The boat in charge of Mr. Joseph Clarke returned after the crew had made a hasty dinner he fearing a storm and that the mail might be detained; but when he got about half over, the storm come on thick. They supposed they must have been up as far as Point Fifteen, as when they landed on the board ice, the tide was setting to the south-east, and had been so for several hours. They landed near Sea Cow Head, and reached Cape Traverse about daylight, having been away about twenty-two hours, and eighteen of that in the Gulf. (Pat 4 Feb p2#6)
Feb 15 Harbour ice in for the day at Burgeo. (GR p.94)
Feb 27 Sydney, CB, the Southern and Eastern coasts are once more clear of floating ice. (BC 04/03/1869 p3 #4)
Mar 3 Port Hood Lighthouse, reports that the schooner “Motel,” of Charlottetown, PEI, bound to Havana got into the ice on the 14th January last and is now floating with the ice about 1½ miles off Little Mabou shore, about 3 miles north of Port Hood harbor. (BC 09/03/1869 p3 #4)
Mar 10 Gulf ice in for the day at Burgeo. (GR p.94)
Mar 13 Nova Scotia – The storm of Saturday night and Sunday must have been severely felt by vessels on the coast. They ran up the North Arm, as far as it is free from ice, but though some of the crews were within sight of their homes, they could not land, such was the force of the sea that was raging. (Pat 13 Mar p2#3)
Mar 16 Northern ice departed Bonne Bay. (GR p.85)
Mar 29 “Spruce Bud” at St. John’s from Halifax had part of her stem and cutwater carried away and lost rudder and braces in heavy ice in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. (LL)
Apr 2 Local ice cleared Bonne Bay. (GR p.85)
Apr 10 The ice is rapidly breaking up; the harbour is open and in a few days we expect the Steam Navigation Company’s steamers, which are being fitted up in first rate style, will commence their summer trips. (Pat 10 Apr p3#2)
Apr 19 The steamer “St. Lawrence” started for Pictou on Tuesday, but had to put back in consequence of the ice in the Gulf. She left again on Thursday morning and returned with a Colonial Mail at 7 p.m. yesterday. (Pat 24 Apr p3#1)
Apr 20 Local ice cleared Bay of Islands. (GR p.88)
Apr 25 On Saturday last several Schooners sailed from this Port, laden with oats for Shediac. They got as far as Cape Egmont, and encountering large quantities of ice they had to put back on Monday. They report that a large body of ice lies between the Cape and Shediac and that it will be impossible to get to the latter port until a strong south-west wind drives the ice down. One of the Captains informed us that the pieces of floating ice were very large and as much as twenty feet underwater. S. Journal (Pat 1 May p3#1)
Apr 26 “Carleton” from Glasgow to Quebec struck a piece of ice near St.Paul’s which stove in her starboard bow. (LL)
Apr 27 On Monday last, the Schooner “Jane Bell” from Charlottetown for Cascumpec, put in to this port, being unable to proceed in consequence of the ice. S. Journal (Pat 1 May p3#1)
May 17-18 SS “European” from Liverpool to Quebec 47°N 57°W passed 2 bergs and next day 46°N 57°W, 2 larger ones. (LL).