1910 Season
Nov 26 Montreal: Trans-Atlantic navigation from this port closed today. (LL 7 Dec.14.26)
Nov 26 Last departure of the season from Quebec. (WBB)
Dec 5 Quebec: Last vessel sailed yesterday. The Harbour up to present is open and free from ice. (LL 6 Dec.9.25)
Dec 11 Last eastbound steamer through the Strait of Belle Isle. (WBB)
Dec 13 Quebec: Navigation closed. Harbour is accessible to steamers but not for sailing vessels. (LL 14 Dec.11.24)
Dec 23 Gaspe: Probably the last sailing of the season has taken place but the harbour is still quite free of ice. (LL 5 Jan.9.22)
Dec 31 Charlottetown: Navigation closed except for icebreakers. (LL 1 Jan.11.23)
Jan 3-4 The Winter Steamers – The fact that the steamer “Minto” left Pictou this morning for Georgetown and arrived there this forenoon has given rise to considerable surprise in this City. Yesterday the “Earl Grey” came from Pictou to Charlottetown in about three hours, providing beyond question that although there is some ice in the Straits, it is not sufficiently heavy to retard the boats in any marked degree. (Pat 4 Jan p4#2 & 3)
Jan 5 There are now 15 vessels in North Arm in quest for herring cargos… Six American vessels have arrived for frozen herring cargo in the last 3 days… There are now some 26 vessels in the Arms of Bay of Islands for herring cargos (TWS, pg. 2, Col. 5)
Jan 7 News from Newfoundland that all records have been broken for late fishing in those waters. [the continuance of relatively mild weather –cited as one of the reasons]. (HH 07/01/1910 p9)
Jan 12 With a few days hard frost the bridge across the Arm will be safe to cross over. (TWS, pg. 2, Col. 5)
Jan 12 Considerable slob ice made in Humber Arm during Tus. and Wed. last week. The change of wind the following day or two broke up most of it again. (TWS, pg. 2, Col. 5)
Jan 19 Report from Middle Arm state that all the vessels are loaded and will probably sail today. Fears were entertained last night that the schooners might be frozen in owing to the severe frost of yesterday morning (TWS, pg. 2, Col. 5)
Jan 19 The ice is so strong that teams are using it without difficulty. (TWS, pg. 3, Col. 3)
Jan 24 Latest reports from the island [Nfld] were to the effect that the fishing was good; there was no gulf ice reported so that there was not likely to be any delay in getting away when loaded. The weather in the Gulf of St Lawrence has been very cold and stormy lately and the absence of drifting ice is considered surprising. (HH 24/01/1910 p9)
Jan 26 The mild weather of the past few days has taken away most all the ice in Humber Arm, and that left is scarcely safe to go on. (TWS, pg. 2, Col. 5)
Jan 31 The ice on the harbour and for some distance up the mouths of the rivers has been all broken up by the recent thaws and gales. (Pat 31 Jan p8#3)
Feb 2 Navigation is as free at present as it would be in the month of June (TWS, pg. 2, Col. 2)
Feb 4 The “Earl Grey” arrived here at 10 a.m. making the run in three hours and meeting with very little ice. (Pat 4 Feb p5#3)
Feb 28 Anticosti, West Pt: Cloudy, south, no open water in sight. Southwest Point: Cloudy, north, light close packed ice, stationary. South Pt: Cloudy, northwest, light close packed ice inshore. Heath Point: Cloudy, northwest, light open ice everywhere. Point Amour: Clear, northwest, straits full sheet ice, moving west, no seals. (HH 01/03/1910 p11)
Mar 3 Cape Ray: no ice. St Paul’s Island: light open ice inshore, moving north. Cape St Lawrence: light open ice distant, moving SE. Cape North: open ice distant, moving N. (HH 03/03/1910 p9)
Mar 10 Cape St Lawrence & Cape North: light open ice, distant. St Paul’s Island: light open ice everywhere. Point Amour: straits full heavy sheet ice, moving W. (HH 10/03/1910 p9)
Mar 21 Havre: A telegram from St. John’s states that navigators report ice in usual quantities for this time of year on the Banks of Newfoundland, but less ice coming down by the Gulf of St. Lawrence. (LL 23 Mar 19.24)
Mar 23 Mr. W.T. Potter has secured a plentiful supply of ice for the coming summer (TWS, p 3, Col. 2)
Mar 23 Saturday while being driven on the ice (Bay of Islands) a horse broke through (TWS, p 3, Col. 2)
Mar 24 Quebec: The first sailings from this port for the season of 1910 will be those of the SS “General Wolfe” and the SS “Natashquan” on March 26 for ports on the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, with mails, passengers and cargo. There is every indication of an early opening of navigation in the river between Montreal and the Gulf, as the temperature continues high and there are only small quantities of drift ice passing through the harbour. (LL 5 Apr. 14.24)
Mar 24 No water in sight around Anticosti; no ice in Northumberland Strait. Cape Traverse: light open ice. SW Pt: light close packed distant, moving S. Cape St Lawrence: heavy close packed inshore, moving E. (HH 24/03/1910 p11)
Mar 25 Fame Point, light open ice distant. Cape Despair [Cap d”Espoir], close packed ice everywhere. Cape Traverse, close packed ice inshore. Southwest Point, light close packed ice distant moving W. Cape St. Lawrence, light open ice inshore moving SE. Cape North, light open ice stationary. Point Amour, light open ice inshore; close packed ice southward. (HB #1074 Mar 30)
Mar 29 Cape Ray, Flat Pt, St Paul’s Island, Father Pt, Matane, Martin River, Heath Pt, Mulgrave – no ice. Cape Despair – very little ice. Pt Maquereaux, Pt Escuminac, Cape Tormentine – light close packed ice. Cape Traverse – light open ice. (HH 29/03/1910 p9)
Mar 30 St. John’s, NF – The sealing steamer “Iceland” operating in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, was crushed in the ice Wednesday and sent to the bottom. The sealer “Florizel” arrived here having rescued the crew of 163 men. When the “Florizel” left the sealing grounds the steamer “Newfoundland” was in a dangerous position being hard pressed by huge ice floes. (Pat 2 Apr p1#1)
Mar 31 The steamer “Northumberland” arrived in this port last evening at five o’clock. She is now about ready for the season’s work. (Pat 1 Apr p8#3)
Apr 2 No ice in Northumberland Strait. Light close packed ice around Anticosti. (HH 02/04/1910 p13)
Apr 5 Quebec: Seal Fishery, Point Amour reports “Labrador” at Forteau Bay. Reports meeting no ice in Gulf. (LL 19 Apr. 11.24)
Apr 6 No ice from Riviere du Loup to Cape Race. (HH 06/04/1910 p11)
Apr 7 Issue: Winter Steamers Service – This has been an epoch making winter in the history of steam communication between the Island and the Mainland. Although the season has been one of exceptional mildness and the ice conditions have not been so heavy, as in many previous winters, still the fact remains that, had the good ship “Earl Grey” not been built and running, results would not have been so eminently satisfactory. The winter steamers commenced plying between the Island and Pictou on October 30th, 1909 and they concluded their sailings on the second of April 1910. In all that time there were only three days when no passage was made. These were on January fourth when the “Earl Grey” did not leave Charlottetown on account of a thick snow storm prevailing; on the eleventh when the “Minto” returned to Georgetown from the Magdalene Islands; and for one week the “Earl Grey” ran between Georgetown and Pictou instead of between Charlottetown and Pictou; on the same route the “Minto” plied for 54 days, the balance of the time coming to Charlottetown. The date of the “Earl Grey’s” plying the eastern route was from the 18th to the 25th of January. The above date proves that Charlottetown is, as its advocates have always contended, a navigable port in the winter season. (Pat 7 Apr p4#2 & 3)
Apr 8 Southwest Point, light open ice distant. Seven Islands, bay still solid. Point Amour, light open ice distant; 6 bergs. (HB #1076 Apr 13)
Apr 9 First arrival of season at Quebec. (WBB)
Apr 10 Quebec: Navigation is now open for all kinds of vessels. There is but little ice in the Gulf. (LL 11 Apr. 9.23)
Apr 12 Montreal: SS “Kronprinz Olav” arrived yesterday from Cape Breton beating the early arrival record by 11 days. Little trouble from ice reported. (LL 20 Apr. 9.24)
Apr 13 The non-existence of ice in the Harbor (Sandy Point) renders transportation from all coast line points comparatively easy (TWS, pg. 2, Col. 4)
Apr 13 Navigation (Bay of Islands) has opened earlier this spring than the past several springs (TWS, p. 2, Col. 3)
Apr 20 North Sydney: Reports from the Gulf of St. Lawrence state that it is practically clear of ice and navigation up the river to Montreal is about 3 weeks earlier than usual. (LL 30 Apr. 11.23)
May 8 Point Amour: 4 icebergs sighted in the morning (NYMR 18 May)
May 9 Point Amour: 2 large icebergs. (NYMR 18 May)
May 20 First Westbound steamer through the strait of Belle Isle. (WBB)