Jan 5 Steamer Fremona (Br) reports sighting a small iceberg off Cape Sable. (NYMR, p.10, col.3)
Jan 6-7 Ship News – Arrivals in Halifax on the 6th and 7th of January. (Pat 10 Jan p4#4)
Jan 25 When the steamer “Regulus,” was coming out of Sydney the last trip, a few days since, her crew saw a few seals on scattered ice in the harbor. Outside, off Low Point, they saw hundreds of seals, on the slob ice, and the scene thus presented was a pretty and lively one. (HH 25/01/1898 p8#1)
Jan 31 Sydney Light, ice open inshore, moving north. Steamer “Bruce” moving with ice. There is open water between ship and the land. ([HH?]01/02/1898 p7#1)
Feb 1 Sydney Light, strong south east gale and storm broke the ice up and the steamer “Bruce” sailed for Placentia. The wind now southwest; ice moving off. (HH 02/02/1898 p2)
Feb 3 London: considerable quantities of ice has formed off the Nova Scotia coast and Halifax harbour has a quantity of ice. (LL 4 Feb)
Feb 4 North Sydney: navigation closed. (LL)
Feb 4 Louisburg closed by ice. (LL)
Feb 4 Several men walked on the ice from Mason’s and Rafuse’s islands to Mahone Bay. Ice is formed to Tancook island, and if the severe frost continues it is expected people will cross to Mahone Bay. This is the first time for ten years that there has been communication between the main and these islands by ice. Lunenburg harbor and bay were so thoroughly iced over that on Monday Cullin Heckman and John Gilbert were able to walk from Lunenburg to Spindler’s Cove. Some say it has been 25 years since this jaunt was possible. It was also reported that persons walked from Tancook to Chester on Monday. (HH 04/02/1898 p8#4)
Feb 8 SS “Mackay-Bennett”, Dover Bay and the harbour of Canso, NS are filled with slob ice which covers the sea in the neighbourhood of Canso, reaching 8 or 10 miles out from land. (HB #442 Feb 16)
Feb 8 Sydney Light, light slob ice everywhere. (HH 09/02/1898 p7#1)
Feb 10 SS “Roumanian” found very soft ice in Halifax Bay. (HB #443 Feb 23)
Feb 11 Sydney Light, light open ice distant north and east. (HH 12/02/1898 p7#1)
Feb 18 SS “Tritonia” 46°50’N 57°30’W passed through a large ice field. (NYMR)
Feb 18 Sydney Light, light open ice in shore, moving to south west. (HH 19/02/1898 p7#1)
Feb 21 Schooner “Virginia” and other ships report immense fields of ice in the Gulf between St. Pierre, Miquelon, and Scatari. From northeastern part of Mizzen [sic] Bank to Canso Bank vessels had to go S in order to clear it. From off the Cape Breton coast it extended about 60 miles off shore; also from Canso to Marie Joseph, along Nova Scotia shore, ice was met about 3 miles off shore, and some of the bays and harbours were blockaded with ice, but not as heavy as that met within the Gulf. (HB #443 Feb 23)
Feb 24 Louisburg, large body of drift ice north of Scatarie, but none off this coast. Heavy sea on shore. A small body of slob ice came through Mainadieu passage Monday and partly filled some of the harbors, but nothing to impede navigation. Sydney Light, passed stmr “Bruce”, Placentia for Sydney. Ice light, open, moving east. (HH 25/02/1898 p7#1)
Feb 29 Meat Cove, CB, no ice in sight. East End Magdalen Island, heavy close packed ice, moving northeast. (HH 01/03/1898 p7#1)
Mar 2 St Croix River is now clear of ice to the head of navigation. (NYMR, p.9, col.5)
Mar 4 Cape Ray, no ice in sight today. Meat Cove, CB, heavy close packed ice, stationary. Magdalens report heavy close packed ice moving east. Sydney Light, CB, open ice distant, stationary. (HH 05/03/1898 p7#2)
Mar 7 Cape Ray, no ice in sight to-day; no ice in sight yesterday. Meat Cove and East End, Magdalens, heavy open ice everywhere, stationary. West End, Magdalens, heavy close packed ice stationary. St. Paul’s Island, clear water to eastward. Heavy open ice westward. (HH 0803/1898 p7#1)
Mar 9 Cape Ray, no ice. Meat Cove, heavy open ice. St. Paul’s and east end [sic] Magdalens, heavy open ice. West End, Magdalens, heavy close packed ice. (HH 10/03/1898 p7#2)
Mar 10 Cape Ray, no ice. Meat Cove, heavy open ice. St. Paul’s and East End Magdalens, the same. West End Magdalens, heavy close packed ice; stationary. (HH 11/03/1898 p7#2)
Mar 11 Meat Cove, heavy open ice moving east. St. Paul’s and east end Magdalens, the same. Sydney Light, CB, light open ice distant, moving east. (HH 12/03/1898 p7#2)
Mar 12 Meat Cove, heavy open ice moving east. St. Paul’s and Magdalens, the same. (HH 14/03/1898 p7#2)
Mar 14 Cape Ray, no ice to-day, no ice Saturday or Sunday. Meat Cove, heavy open ice moving northeast. St. Paul’s Island, the same. (HH 15/03/1898 p7#1)
Mar 15 Meat Cove, CB, heavy close packed ice stationary. East Point, Magdalen Islands, the same. West Point, Magdalen Islands, light open ice in shore. St. Paul’s Island, heavy close packed ice to westward; heavy open ice in shore to eastward with clear water in sight. (HH 16/03/1898 p7#2)
Mar 18 Cape Ray, no ice to-day. Meat Cove, CB, heavy close packed ice. St. Paul’s Island and Magdalen Islands report heavy open ice moving southeast. Sydney Light, heavy open ice distant, moving southeast. (HH 19/03/1898 p7#2)
Mar 21 Meat Cove, CB, from all appearances the ice is going to be as late as usual in the gulf this spring. The mild weather and absence of severe frost pointed to an early opening of navigation but there had been so much northeasterly and easterly winds that very little of the ice has gone out of the gulf yet, so that it will be well on towards the last of April or probably well into May before we see the last of it, let the winds be how they will from this out. (HH 31/03/1898 p1#5)
Mar 25 Schooner “Alva” at Gloucester reports that the W coast of Newfoundland is clear of ice for some distance from shore. The same is true of the S coast W of St. Pierre, the easterly winds having blown the ice towards Cape Breton Island. Farther westward, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the ice is heavy enough to impede navigation. Field ice also extends 40 miles SE of Scatari and westward toward Louisburg. (HB #448 Mar 30)
Mar 25 Heavy close packed ice is reported everywhere from St. Paul Island, moving SE. Two Newfoundland steamers are jammed in the ice 20 miles N of Cape St. Lawrence. (HB #448 Mar 30)
Mar 25 Cape Ray, no ice today; no ice yesterday. Meat Cove, CB, heavy open ice stationary. Magdalens, heavy close packed ice everywhere. St. Paul’s, heavy close packed ice everywhere moving S E slowly. Two Newfoundland steamers twenty-five miles north of Cape St. Lawrence jammed in the ice. (HH 26/03/1898 p7#2)
Mar 28 Cape Ray, light open ice distant to-day; light open ice distant moving south yesterday. Meat Cove, CB, heavy close packed ice stationary. Magdalens, the same. St. Paul’s, heavy close packed ice westward. (HH 29/03/1898 p7#2)
Mar 29-30 The “Stanley” and the harbour ice. Sir – In yesterdays issue of your paper, you stated that the SS “Stanley” broke up the ice in the harbour and assisted the Ferry boats in effecting communication with Southport. This is not the case. The SS “Hillsborough” started running on the twenty-ninth ult. and on 31st ult. succeeded in breaking into Southport dock. The ice in some places was a foot thick, but with care and skilful management the staunch built steamer did wonderful work for a side-wheel boat. On the 30th ult. a trip was made down the harbour past Connolly’s wharf in order to break up the thin ice and make a lead for the heavy ice to pass down with the tide. The “Stanley” made no attempt to break over to Southport. She simply passed up the harbour in open water, poked against the ice off the Railway wharf and returned in open water to her berth. – Com. [The Patriot did not state that the “Stanley” broke the ice over to Southport. The “Stanley” cannot cross over to Southport on account of the middle ground. – Ed. Patriot] (Pat 1 Apr p2#2)
Mar 30 Cape Ray, No ice. Meat Cove, CB, March 29, heavy open ice stationary. St. Paul’s and Magdalens the same. Meat Cove, CB, March 30, heavy open ice everywhere, stationary. St. Paul’s and Magdalen Islands – The same. Sydney Light, CB, March 30, heavy open ice moving east. (HH 31/03/1898 p7 #1)
Mar 31 SS “Mackay-Bennett” passed a number of large lumps and pans of waterworn ice 3 to 4 miles off Canso. (HB #449 Apr 6)
Apr 1 Sydney harbor open to navigation. (NYMR, p.9, col.5)
Apr 2 Meat Cove, heavy open ice moving southwest. St. Paul’s and Magdalen Islands, heavy ice moving south. (HH 04/04/1898 p7#3)
Apr 4 Sydney Harbour is open to navigation. (Pat 4 Apr p3#2)
Apr 5 Cape Ray, no ice. Meat Cove, CB, heavy close packed ice, moving southeast. St. Paul’s and Magdalens, the same. (HH 06/04/1898 p7#2)
Apr 9 Pictou harbor is clear of ice, and navigation is open between that port and Prince Edward Island ports. (NYMR, p.9, col.4)
Apr 9 Heavy Gulf ice reported in 45°N 59°W. (NYMR)
Apr 9 Meat Cove, CB, heavy close packed ice moving east. St. Paul’s, heavy close packed ice westerly; heavy open inshore easterly, four miles wide. Magdalens, heavy open ice everywhere moving. (HH 11/04/1898 p7#2)
Apr 11 SS “Portia” met heavy gulf ice in 45°N 59°W, extending for 120 miles. (HB #451 Apr 20)
Apr 12 The steamer “Portia,” arrived from St. John’s, Nfld., yesterday. Captain Farrell reports heavy ice off the Newfoundland coast. He was detained at St. John’s by ice for several days. On Sunday a heavy southwest wind carried the fields off shore, and at 6 a.m. on that day the “Portia” left port, steaming to Cape Race, between the coast and the ice. In 45°N 59°30’W. heavy gulf ice was met with extending 120 miles in the vicinity of the Misaine banks. It took all yesterday to pass this immense field, which was made up of very heavy ice. (HH 13/04/1898 p2#4)
Apr 13 The Schooner “Laura C” arrived at this port from Pugwash this morning – the first arrival of the season. (Pat 13 Apr p3#2)
Apr 18 Meat Cove, CB, light open ice distant to the west and northwest. Clear water east and northeast. St. Paul’s, no ice in sight. East Point, Magdalens, heavy open ice nine miles off. Northside Magdalens, heavy open ice everywhere moving east. (HH 19/04/1898 p7#3)
Apr 22 Meat Cove, CB, heavy open ice to the westward. St. Paul’s, no ice in sight. West Point, Magdalens, heavy open ice distant moving east. East Point, Magdalens, light open ice distant. (HH 23/04/1898 p7#3)
Apr 23 SS “Scotsman” 47°12’N 58°41’W to 47°47’N 59°53’W passed a small quantity of field ice. (HB #453 May 4)
Apr 24 SS “Micmac” 45°20’N 57’W passed heavy field ice. (HB #453 May 4)
May 6 SS “Teutonic” 41°28’N 57°20’W passed 2 large icebergs. (HB #456 May 25)
May 14 SS “Kasbek” 39°27’N 72°16’W passed a lump of ice 15 feet in diameter and 3 feet above water. (HB #455 May 18)
May 31 SS “Styria” 42°09’N 59°W passed a lump of ice 3 feet square and 3 feet out of the water. (HB #458 Jun 8)
May 17 Steamer Acadian (Br), at North Sydney from Saint John, NB, while on the voyage collided with a large iceberg. She is reported as having received no damage. (NYMR, p.10, col.4).