Jan 4 Last Monday quite a quantity of ice was floating about in the Straits between Capes Traverse and Tormentine; it looked as if one or two “hard ???” would finish the job. A schooner was seen drifting with the ice off Cape Tormentine, last Thursday. Times, Jan 4 (Pat 9 Jan p3#2)
Jan 5 Halifax: Port Mulgrave, wind NW very cold; first ice for the season; large quantity of ice in North Bay. (MH 06/01/1888 p3 #5)
Jan 5 We are sorry to hear that the Straits are full of lolly and that hereafter the “Northern Light” will only attempt to cross once each day, thus giving us a mail only in two days. (Pat 5 Jan p3#1)
Jan 7 The “Northern Light” arrived at Georgetown this morning at 7 o’clock. The steamer left Pictou early yesterday morning but was delayed by the ice and lolly in the Straits. The mail was received here at noon today. (Pat 7 Jan p3#1)
Jan 9 Halifax: Port Mulgrave, wind NW; strait full of ice. (MH 10/01/1888 p3 #6)
Jan 9 The “Northern Light” is fast in the ice off Pictou Island, about three-quarters of the way over from Georgetown, which she left at 5 am yesterday morning. (Pat 10 Jan p3#1)
Jan 11 Halifax: Port Mulgrave, passed south in the drifting ice schr “George Walter,” of Souris. She was carried out of Port Hastings last night with the ice. Will go to Carriboo Cove. (MH 12/01/1888 p3 #6)
Jan 11 The Straits are full of ice. (Pat 12 Jan p3#1)
Jan 13 Halifax: Port Mulgrave, Government stmr “Newfield” came up the strait this morning, and returned south again. Strait full of ice; calm and mild. (MH 14/01/1888 p3 #7)
Jan 19 Louisburg, CB, the American schooners “Oyster,” “Fannie Bell” and “Senator Morgan,” all of Gloucester, Mass., arrived here late last night from Fortune Bay, with frozen herring bound homeward. They left St. Pierre Tuesday evening and experienced fine weather until late last night. The schooner “Ocean Belle,” of Halifax, reports left South Head, Bay of Islands Sunday night last. Experienced heavy southerly gale on the same night with wind and sea, the vessel became almost unmanageable on account of ice, which made rapidly. Met very heavy ice about twenty miles NE of St. Paul’s, which extended to Scatterie. (MH 20/01/1888 p3#4)
Jan 23 The Cape Breton coast is blocked with ice. (MH 23/01/1888 p3 #2)
Jan 25 The ice in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Boston, and New York harbors has been heavy during the past week. (NYMR, p. 2, col. 4)
Jan 25 St. Pierre, Miq., January 30, the steamer “St. Pierre,” arrived here at noon on Saturday, the 28th being three days overdue. A telegram stating she left Cow Bay on Wednesday, and not reaching here at her proper time, caused great anxiety. Captain Angrove reported she was detained at Cow Bay Tuesday night by a heavy north-east gale, and left there Wednesday, when he cut his way through 30 miles of solid ice, and at 10 p.m. got jammed about 10 miles of Scatarie light. On Thursday night a terrific south east gale broke up the ice, permitting him at six o’clock Friday morning to shift and head south, – the ship being at this time about two miles off Port Nova. He then steamed 35 miles through broken ice with a tremendous sea running. At 6 p.m. Friday he succeeded in clearing the ice and headed the steamer for St. Pierre, experiencing just before his arrival a severe north-east snow storm which compelled him to anchor in the bay. (MH 02/02/1888 p3 #4)
Jan 28 Digby, the schooner “Alena Covert”, from Boston, for Annapolis, was towed to Digby for safety from Stoney Beach, Annapolis River where she had been driven on shore by the ice. (MH 30/01/1888 p3 #4)
Jan 30 The Allan mail steamer “Polynesian”, arrived with the mails from Liverpool, GB, after a tempestuous passage. She passed through some light drift ice off the NS coast. (MH 30/01/1888 p3 #2)
Feb 9 The Allan steamer “Newfoundland,” arrived 57 hours from St. John’s, Nfld., with the first mail of the winter service. He reports passage through heavy scattered ice for 12 hours, from Mizaine Bank to Canso Bank. (MH 10/02/1888 p3 #1)
Feb 22 Halifax, arrived, steamer “Newfoundland,” St. John’s, NF reports passed through a quantity of loose Gulf ice on St.Peter’s Bank. (MH 24/02/1888 p3 #6)
Feb 27 Halifax. Arrived, steamer “Concordia”, Glasgow, GB, Feb 16. Feb 26, 44°27’N 56°25’W passed some scattered ice which looked heavier to the N. (MH 28/02/1888 p3 #6)
Mar 3 SS “Portia” reported [field ice ?] along the southeast coast of Newfoundland and east coast of Cape Breton and St. Pierre. (MWR).
Mar 4? SS? “Colima” passed 2 ice floes in —N, 59°26’W [cf. Mar 13]. (MWR).
Mar 9 SS “Newfoundland” at Halifax from St. John’s passed through 80m of Gulf ice and damaged propeller. (NYMR)
Mar 13 SS “Colina” 4am, 30m north of Sable Island passed 2 floes of field ice ~ 300′ wide each; at 7am 33m to the westward passed 2 more floes of ice ~1m long. (NYMR)
Mar 16 SS “Vancouver” 43°56’N 56°02’W saw heavy field ice, passed through it thence to Cheebuctoo, NS. (NYMR)
Mar 28 Fox Bay, Anticosti, heavy open ice as far as can be seen. Some seals seen Monday. Three steamers cruising among the ice – far off. Bird Rock, Magdalen Islands, cloudy, south wind, heavy close packed ice everywhere, moving northwest. Meat Cove, Magdalen Islands, heavy open ice everywhere, moving northwest. Cape Ray, clear, west wind; no ice. (MH 30/03/1888 p3 #4)
Apr 4 The “Northern Light” has not yet made her way out of Souris Harbour. She is about half a mile from open water, but the ice is said to be from 6 to 8 feet thick and it is not likely that she will get clear for some days. (Pat 4 Apr p3#1)
Apr 6 Bird Rocks, cloudy strong southeast wind. Heavy close packed ice everywhere moving northwest; 4000 seals taken at Magdalen Islands. Cape Ray, clear southeast and light open ice distant, a few seals taken yesterday. (MH 11/04/1888 p3 #4)
Apr 7 Pictou, no signs of the “Northern Light” although she left Souris eight days ago. She is evidently stuck in the ice some where. A heavy SW wind is now blowing and the ice is rapidly going out of the Straits. The gulf is all clear of ice as far the eye can see. A large number or drummers are here waiting to go to the island. (MH 09/04/1888 p2 #1)
Apr 9 Bird Rocks, Magdalen Islands and Meat Cove, cloudy weather, wind, heavy close packed ice everywhere stationary; 400 seals killed Saturday at Magdalen Islands. Cape Ray, clear west wind, light open ice in shore; schooner brought in eleven hundred seals today. (MH 11/04/1888 p3 #4)
Apr 12 Pictou, the “Northern Light” is still fast in the ice at Souris and there is no telling when she will arrive at Pictou. Pictou harbor is all clear of ice, with the exception of drift ice, and had she been kept on this side, she might have been running several weeks ago. It is expected that the “Beaver” will begin her regular trips to Magdalen Islands on Tuesday and will call at P E Island. The “Princess” and “St. Lawrence” begin running in about ten days. Fifty drummers are waiting to cross. (MH 13/04/1888 p3 #4)
Apr 13 Bird Rocks, Magdalen Islands, cloudy, south west wind, heavy close packed ice everywhere, moving north. Pleasant Bay full of ice, schooners cannot get out. Meat Cove, cloudy, southwest wind. No ice. Cape Ray, hazy, strong northwest wind. (MH 16/04/1888 p3 #4)
Apr 14 Halifax: Low Point, CB, ice open in shore, heavy outside. (MH 16/04/1888 p3 #4)
Apr 19 Port Mulgrave, some scattered ice. (MH 20/04/1888 p3 #4)
Apr 20 The Allan steamer “Newfoundland”, arrived this morning from St. John’s NF, and reports the Newfoundland cross blocked with ice and passed through 25 miles of heavy Gulf ice off Canso. (MH 21/04/1888 p3 #2)
Apr 23 Port Hood, the brigt “Westaway” ashore at Judique since last fall was carried out to sea by drift ice on Saturday. Last evening she was sighted off Cape Mabou surrounded by a heavy body of ice and drifting north. There are four man aboard well supplied with provisions. As she was not seriously damaged no danger is apprehended. They can probably work clear of the ice on getting beyond Cape North and make Sydney. (MH 27/04/1888 p3 #2)
Apr 25 St. Peters, CB, Schr “J W Russell,” Halifax, for Sydney at Grand River, carried away by drift ice. (MH 27/04/1888 p3 #4)
Apr 26 Halifax, North Bay all clear of ice. (MH 26/04/1888 p3 #4)
Apr 27 SS “Vancouver” off Cape Race, icefields; 47°20’N 59°54’W field ice. (MWR).
Apr 28 SS “Glendale” at Boston from Dundee encountered great quantities of field ice off Newfoundland [Cape Race]; 30th, 50m W of St.Pierre Island met fields of ice extending as far as Scotia (Scatari) Island, a distance of 100m. (NYMR)
May “As compared with the ice record for the preceding month, there has been a marked increase in the aggregate quantity of ice reported off the east and south coasts of Newfoundland and in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, while the positions of detached ice fields and bergs remain materially the same. (MWR May 109.2)
May Late [April ?] reports from North Sydney say that the coast is heavily ice-bound, with large quantities of ice in Northumberland Strait and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. (PCNAO May 1888)
May 1 Arrived, schr “Genesta,” Pictou for Crapaud, PEI (put in on account of ice.) Large steamer passed down Saturday on Island shore. Ice moved off Sunday with a southerly wind, but is still in sight. (MH 08/05/1888 p3#4)
May 2 Icebergs and field ice may be encountered almost as far south as the 40th parallel between the 41st and 58th meridians. (NYMR, p. 2, col. 4)
May 3 A telegram from Cow Bay reports the steamer “St. Pierre” off that port in the ice, with little probability of her getting into Cape Breton ports. (MH 03/05/1888 p3 #4)
May 4 A dispatch received last night says the whole of Cape Breton coast as far west as Canso Island is blocked by ice. The weather had been very chilly and December like during the past two days. (MH 04/05/1888 p3#1)
May 5 SS “St.Pierre” from Halifax to St.Pierre put into Cow Bay damaged by ice. (NYMR)
May 7 Low Point, CB, ice open brig and schooner outside calm. Arrived at Pugwash. (MH 08/05/1888 p3#4)
May 9 Low Point, CB, ice open north moving, southeast; a steamer off. (MH 10/05/1888 p3 #6)
May 10 Brig “Energy” (Br.), which arrived at Salem June 2 from Little Glace Bay, reports May 10, 46°N 59°W, saw a field ice from Scatari to Flat Island [Point?]. (NYMR, 6 Jun p. 2, col. 5)
May 11 Low Point, CB, all the ice near is from Point Aconi to Flint Island; all clear outside. (MH 12/05/1888 p3 #4)
May 11 The schooner “Amelia,” of Arichat, from Halifax for Charlottetown, struck a cake of ice off Cape Jack yesterday evening and filled, sinking almost immediately. The crew barely escaped without saving anything. The barque “Ashantee” left the railway wharf yesterday morning and while off Harbor au Bouche struck a cake of ice punching a hole in her bow. The vessel commenced filling, but she was near the land and was run aground at Harbor-au Bouche, where she now lies, with the water level with her rails. (MH 14/05/1888 p3 #1)
May 14 Low Point, CB, ice breaking up, moving north west. (MH 15/05/1888 p3 #5)
May 16 North Sydney, the Newfoundland schooner “Guide”, from Bay of Islands for Halifax, was wrecked in ice about six miles off Flint Island, on Wednesday last. The crew arrived here yesterday. Pictou, the steamer “Ashdell” has arrived, laden with sugar, en route to Montreal. She struck ice and stove in her bow, and will have to partially unload to repair. Georgetown, PEI, May 16 – The schooner “Katie E Stewart,” of Spry Harbor, bound to Magdalen Islands, with a general cargo, arrived here this morning with a hole punched in her bow below the water line, by ice at East Point. Her cargo is safe. She will repair here and proceed. She reports ice packed solid north from East Point clean south. A barque is sunk on East Point shoal. No particulars. (MH 17/05/1888 p3 #2)
May 16 Ice at Anticosti and Bird Rocks scattered. (MH 16/05/1888 p3 #4)
May 19 SS “Coventry” 47°10’N 62°35’W large detached pieces of ice. (MWR May 109.2)
May 22 SS “Coventry” 47°10’N 62°59’W entered heavy packed ice and remained fast until the 26th. SS “Holstein” off Heath Point, Anticosti, several small bergs. (MWR May 109.2)
May 29 Steamer “Coventry” (Br.) from New York, bound for Miramichi, in ballast, arrived North Sydney May 27. She passed NS May 18th, and on the following day struck ice in the Gulf and has been in it ever since. She could not reach the port she was bound for and put back for bunker coal. She reports a large quantity of ice in the Gulf yet. (NYMR, p. 2, col. 5)
Jun 29 SS “Montreal” was detained 6 hours in passing through a belt of field ice across the Straits of Belle Isle from Point Amour to the south shore. (MWR Jun 137.2)
Jun 30 SS “Circe” 15 miles E from Point Amour, heavy field ice; was stopped 7 hours by ice, and did not get clear until July 1, when 15 miles west from Greenly. (MWR Jun 137.2)