1913 Season
Nov 21 Sydney: The SS “Boheme” arrived here from St. John’s and reports having passed several icebergs at the mouth of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. (HB #1213 Nov 27)
Nov 27 The “Home” on her last trip north, steamed through eight miles of ice about six inches thick up Salmon River. (TWS, p.2).
Nov 27 Last eastbound steamer through the Strait of Belle Isle. (WBB)
Dec 12 Last departure of the season from Quebec. (WBB)
Dec 12 L’Islet: light scattered ice. Point Amour: light open ice inshore. Belle Isle: light slob ice. All stations above Quebec report light scattered ice. (HB 1216 Dec 18 CSS)
Dec 13 Crane Island: light scattered ice. L’Islet: light scattered ice. Little Métis: ice making fast. Matane: ice making fast. Light close-packed ice inshore. Martin River: ice making fast. Cape Ray: ice making fast. All stations above Quebec report light scattered ice. (HB 1216 Dec 18 CSS)
Dec 18 J.A. Ward, Lightkeeper, Miscou Point, New Brunswick: Closing date. (CIS IC0756)
Dec 31 The sheet of ice which was across the head of Humber Arm, broke away and drifted out the Bay of Islands Friday night. (TWS, p.2).
Dec 31 The SS ”Cacouna” came in Tuesday evening with a cargo of coal for the Reid Co. A sheet of ice about 4 inches thick blocked upper port Humber Arm. (TWS, p.2).
Jan 8 Last night’s frost made a bridge across the Humber. (TWS,p.2)
Jan 11 Georgetown Harbour is today as open as summer, and the steamer “Kilkeel” sailed yesterday. (Pat 11 Jan p1#4)
Jan 14 The “Minto” is making the round trip between Summerside and Tormentine today. (Pat 14 Jan p8#3)
Jan 16 Teams crossed the Humber Arm from Curling to Summerside on the ice yesterday. (TWS, p.2).
Jan 16 The SS ”Home” spent Friday and Saturday negotiating a passage through the ice down the Humber. (TWS, p.2).
Feb 5 The outer part of the Bay was blocked with drift ice on Friday. (TWS,p.2)
Feb 10 Sydney, received a message from Captain Taylor, of the “Invermore,” which arrived at North Sydney on Saturday afternoon, to the effect that while steaming across the gulf his ship had sighted a schooner fast in the ice with all sails set. Her position at the time was eight miles ENE of Flint Island. The “Invermore” left St. John’s on Thursday evening and considering the conditions, made a good run to North Sydney. He experienced a strong WNW gale till about 35 miles from the Cape Breton coast, when a heavy loose field of drift ice was met. The “Invermore” worked thru it without accident. (HH 11/02/1913 p1#3)
Feb 12 The steamer “Alcona” has been docked for the winter at the wharves of Messrs. Taylor and Roberts and soon the patent freezer will in turn be frozen in. (TWS, p.1).
Feb 12 The drift ice has made its appearance to the delight of those who wanted to cross the bay in order to obtain firewood but to the regret of the merchants who wish to see the Portia once more for the season. (TWS, p.1)
Feb 12 The Bay of Islands is now blocked with drift ice. (TWS, p.2).
Feb 20-21 SS “Mongolian” 20th, 44°27’N 60°05’W entered ice ~1′ or 18″ thick extending in a NE and SW direction; 21st, 44°17’N 60°55’W cleared the ice. (NYMR)
Feb 22 Anxiety for the safety of the long overdue liner “Mongolian” was dispelled yesterday afternoon when she steamed up to her berth undamaged from her twenty day trip from Liverpool. Large fields of slob ice were met in 45°57’N 47°43’W and a heavy ice-pack inshore about Sable Island. (HH 23/02/1913 p13#6)
Feb 23 We learn from Captain Taylor, of the steamer “Bruce,” that on her last trip from Port Aux Basques to Sydney the crew captured several whitecoats on the ice about 30 miles off Low Point. (HH 23/02/1913 p13#5)
Feb 24 Father Point, Fame Point, Heath Point, Money Point – Heavy open ice. Magdalen Islands – Heavy close packed everywhere. Cape Ray – Snowing. Cape Race – No ice in sight. (HH 25/02/1913 p11#5)
Feb 25 The officers of the cable ship “Relay,” owned by the Mexican Telegraph Company which came in from sea after completing repair work round St. Pierre, reported having cut across a large field of ice four feet thick. The ice was encountered between 44 to 45 north latitude, and cutting diagonally thru it the officers estimated that the field was 200 square miles in size. When plowing thru the ship at 2 o’clock one morning came to a stand still and the captain, to make headway sent her astern and then put her full speed ahead and crashed thru the packed ice. Time after time this occurred on this occasion and as the large chunks of ice were thrust aside they clung to the ship’s side then crashed in on her wake. One large block caught the rudder, jammed it over and broke the chain land for five hours the ship lay still in the ice field while repairs were done. In places the chief officer said that large blocks of ice four feet thick were piled up three and four deep, and excepting ice in the Arctic regions he had never seen anything like it. (HH 25[26]/02/1913 p12)
Feb 26 A report from the “Bruce” on Monday stated that she was still jammed in the ice off Sydney, and that the surrounding ice was twenty feet thick. (TWS, p.3)
Feb 26 Heath Point – Heavy open ice everywhere. Magdalen Islands – Heavy close packed. Cape Ray – Heavy close packed; distant. Money Point – Heavy open; inshore. Cape Race – No ice. St. Paul’s Island – No communication. (HH 26/02/1913 p16#3)
Mar 1 Nosing her way into Halifax harbor early yesterday morning after having broken clear from a five days’ imprisonment in an immense prairie of slob ice, the tardy French mail boat “Fogota” ended an eventful trip from St. Pierre, from which port she was five days overdue in making. Leaving St. Pierre Sunday week at six in the evening, the “Fogota” had an ice-strewn path to travel and as the drifting cakes became more numerous it was found necessary to stop the engines and bring the ship to a halt. Mud hooks were dropped at midnight when the vessel began her five days’ term. Next morning an effort was made to steam ahead but she was hemmed in on all sides by a great field of ice that was unskirted save by the horizon. Despite every endeavor at backing and rushing forward at full speed, the “Fogota’ was unable to release herself until last Friday when a stiff breeze sprang up and opened up a lead in the ice-fields enabling the craft to get thru to Louisburg, where she arrived on Saturday. During the period in which she was held up those on board the vessel could in clear weather discern the outline of Scatterie Island off the coast of Cape Breton. (HH 04/03/1913 p11#4)
Mar 3 Fame Point – Heavy open ice everywhere. West Point – Light open inshore. Heath Point – Heavy open distant. Magdalen Islands – Heavy close packed everywhere. Cape Ray – Heavy open inshore. Flat Point, Money Point – Heavy close packed everywhere. Cape Race – No ice. (HH 04/03/1913 p11#5)
Mar 5 An American schooner, in ballast, in ice, off Red Islands, Cape St. George’s. Both masts gone-one cut, the other broken off. Nothing aboard except stove and few articles. (TWS, p.2)
Mar 5 Heath Point, Magdalen Islands, Cape Ray – Heavy close packed everywhere. Flat Point, Money Point – Heavy close packed distant. Cape Race – No ice. (HH 06/03/1913 p11#4)
Mar 7 Magdalen Islands – Heavy open ice everywhere. West Point, Anticosti – Light, close packed everywhere. Money Point – Heavy open ice distant. Flat Point – No ice. (HH 08/03/1913 p13#4)
Mar 10 Cape Ray, Heath Point – Heavy open ice everywhere. Magdalen Islands – Heavy close packed everywhere. Money Point – Heavy close packed everywhere, stationary. Flat Point – No ice. Sydney Harbor – Light close packed, stationary. (HH 11/03/1913 p11#5)
Mar 12 Fame Point – Light open ice everywhere. Anticosti, West Point and Cape Ray – Heavy close packed everywhere. Flat Point – Heavy close packed distant. Cape Race – No ice. (HH 13/03/1913 p11#4)
Mar 13 Heath Point, Magdalen Islands, Money Point – Heavy close packed ice everywhere. (HH 14/03/1913 p9#4)
Mar 14 Heath Point and Money Point – Heavy, close packed ice everywhere. Magdalen Islands – Heavy, open everywhere. Flat Point, Cape Race – No ice. Cape Ray – Heavy, close packed ice everywhere. (HH 15/03/1913 p13#4)
Mar 16 Halifax: Sealing SS “Lloyds” which left here recently struck a submerged rock while forcing her way through ice and was so seriously damaged had to be abandoned. (NYMR)
Mar 17 Fame Point – Light open ice everywhere. Heath and Money Point – Heavy, close packed everywhere. Magdalen Islands – Heavy, open everywhere. Flat Point – No ice. Cape Race – Dense fog. (HH 18/03/1913 p9#5)
Mar 18 The twenty-eighth of March in the year 1914 will be memorable as the day upon which the magnificent ice fighting steamer “Earl Grey” came into the harbour of Charlottetown. It was the eighteenth of March last year [1913], ten days earlier than this season. (Pat 28 Mar 1914 p4#4)
Mar 19 Heath Point, Magdalen Islands, Cape Ray – Heavy, open ice everywhere. Money Point – Heavy, close packed ice everywhere, stationary. Flat Point – No ice. (HH 20/03/1913 p11#5)
Mar 21 The cableship “Minia” reports from St. Pierre: No ice in a straight course from Halifax to Artiman bank, thence clear to 56[46?]°N 57°W then ran into heavy pack ice which continued to St. Pierre Island surrounded, packing with southeast wind. (HH 20/03/1913 p20 [21]/1913 p11#5)
Mar 24 News of a week’s weary breaking thru but thirty miles of heavy sheet ice towards the gulf seal herd near the Magdalen Islands was flashed by wireless from the Halifax sealer “Seal” on Saturday afternoon. Captain Farquhar reported the first strike of the voyage. This was on Friday when the crews to the “Seal” and “Neptune” walked between five and ten miles to the pack. The veteran found the ice exceptionally difficult to force a path thru, this adversely setting them back several days in their calculations. (HH 24/03/1913 p11#4)
Mar 24 Fame Point, Flat Point – No ice. Cape Ray – Heavy, open ice distant. (HH 25/03/1913 p11#5)
Mar 25 J G Farquhar received a wireless from his father in charge of the steamer “Seal” in the ice-fields about the Magdalen Islands, last evening containing the intelligence that the “Seal’s” hunters had so far killed a total of 6,000 seals, 2,600 of which had been brought five miles over the ice and loaded in the steamer’s hold. Conditions remain but little changed, the sheets being very heavy and expansive, but if the weather continues favorable the captain expects to do materially better than his progress last week. (HH 26/03/1913 p13#4)
Mar 25 The “Earl Grey” docked in Charlottetown today at 1 p.m. having met a considerable quantity of ice on route. (Pat 25 Mar p5#4)
Mar 26 The ice on St. George’s harbor is quite smooth and good for ice-boating and those that own boats are taking advantage of it. (TWS, p.2).
Mar 26 Many have taken advantage of the good skating on the Humber Arm the past few days. (TWS, p.2)
Mar 26 Anticosti, Heath Point – Two miles of broken ice along shore. Magdalen Islands – Light close packed inshore. Money Point – Heavy, close packed. Cape Ray, Flat Point – Heavy, close packed distant. (HH 27/03/1913 p11#5)
Mar 27 The “Earl Grey” docked in Charlottetown today making excellent time. There was scarcely ice enough to interfere with the running of the summer boats. (Pat 27 Mar p3#4)
Mar 28 & Apr 4 It took the quarter of a century old icebreaker, the Government steamer “Stanley” just nine hours to negotiate the one hundred and twenty miles journey from the Magdalene Islands to this port, arriving here Monday night about 10 o’clock. On the passage Captain Dalton sighted scarcely a speck of ice, only a small scattering off Cape North. The “Stanley” left here Friday and on the run to the Magdalen Islands encountered considerable ice, out of which she could not extricate herself until she drifted quite a distance. (Pat 5 Apr p8# 3)
Mar 31 The “Minto” left here yesterday morning and arrived in Summerside. She met some ice in the bay and outside Summerside harbour. After breaking the ice there she took on board a full cargo. (Pat 1 Apr p5#3)
Apr 1 The “Earl Grey” docked in Charlottetown today, arriving about the same time as the “Minto”. The “Grey” came through about 8 or 9 miles of ice on the Island side on the way over. (Pat 1 Apr p5#3)
Apr 2 The mild spring-like weather is fast taking away the ice and the snow. The ice is so bad some parts of Humber Arm is not safe to walk on. (TWS, p.2)
Apr 2 Quebec to Magdalen Islands – No ice. Money Point, Flat Point, Cape Race, Cape Traverse, Cape Tormentine, Port Hood, Mulgrave, Port Hastings, Scattarie – No ice. Cape Ray and Point Amour – Heavy, close packed ice everywhere. Steamer “Stanley” reports no ice from Cape North to Sydney; steamed ten knots per hour from Magdalen Islands to Sydney. (HH 03/04/1913 p9#7)
Apr 2 The “Minto” was five miles this side of Point Prim in heavy closely packed ice. (Pat 2 Apr p5#3)
Apr 2 Cape Ray: heavy close-packed ice everywhere. Point Amour: heavy close-packed ice. (HB 1232 Apr 9 CSS)
Apr 3 J.A. Ward, Lightkeeper, Miscou Point, New Brunswick: Opening date. (CIS IC0756)
Apr 3 Cape Ray: heavy close-packed ice everywhere. Point Amour: heavy close-packed ice. Belle Isle: heavy close-packed ice. Cape Magdalen: light open ice distant. (HB 1232 Apr 9 CSS)
Apr 4 Cape Magdalen – Light open ice distant. Cape Ray – Heavy close packed everywhere. Heath Point, Magdalen Islands, Money Point, Flat Point, Northumberland strait – Report no ice. (HH 05/04/1913 p13#4)
Apr 4 Point Amour: heavy close-packed ice. Belle Isle: heavy close-packed ice. Cape Magdalen: light open ice distant. (HB 1232 Apr 9 CSS)
Mar 28 & Apr 4 It took the quarter of a century old icebreaker, the Government steamer “Stanley” just nine hours to negotiate the one hundred and twenty miles journey from the Magdalene Islands to this port, arriving here Monday night about 10 o’clock. On the passage Captain Dalton sighted scarcely a speck of ice, only a small scattering off Cape North. The “Stanley” left here Friday and on the run to the Magdalen Islands encountered considerable ice, out of which she could not extricate herself until she drifted quite a distance. (Pat 5 Apr p8# 3)
Apr 5 Cape Tormentine: light open ice everywhere. East Scatari: heavy open ice distant. Cape Ray: heavy open ice distant. Point Amour: heavy close packed ice distant moving west. (HB 1233 Apr 16 CSS)
Apr 6 L’Islet: light scattered ice. (HB 1233 Apr 16 CSS)
Apr 7 Cape Magdalen – No ice. Cape Ray – Heavy open ice distant. Heath Point, Magdalen Islands – Report no ice. Money Point – Light open ice distant. (HH 09/04/1913 p13#5)
Apr 7 Cape Tormentine: light close packed ice inshore. Cape Ray: heavy open ice distant. (HB 1233 Apr 16 CSS)
Apr 8 The “Northumberland” leaves here at 7 tomorrow morning for Pictou. First trip of the season. The “Empress” goes to Summerside. (Pat 8 Apr p8#3)
Apr 9 Number of seals were seen on the ice at mouth of Bay of Islands on Saturday. (TWS, p.2)
Apr 9 Heath Point; Magdalen – No ice. Money Point – Heavy, close packed ice stationary. Cape Ray – Light open ice, distant. (HH 11/04/1913 p9#4)
Apr 9 Point Escuminac: light close packed ice inshore. Cape Ray: light open ice distant moving south. (HB 1233 Apr 16 CSS)
Apr 9 SS “Earl Grey”: ice along Nova Scotia shore from River John to Tormentine about 1 mile wide breaking up. (HB 1233 Apr 16 CSS)
Apr 10 Point Escuminac: light close packed ice inshore. Magdalen Islands: light open ice distant moving south. Money Point: light close packed ice inshore. Flat Point: heavy open ice inshore stationary in harbour and bay. Heavy open ice distant. Point Amour: light open ice distant. (HB 1233 Apr 16 CSS)
Apr 11 L’Islet: light scattered ice. Point Escuminac: light open ice inshore. Cape Tormentine: light open ice distant. Scatari: open ice everywhere. Magdalen Islands: light open ice inshore stationary. Money Point: very little ice. Cape Ray: heavy open ice distant. Flat Point: heavy open ice inshore moving southeast. Point Amour: light open ice inshore. Belle Isle: light open ice inshore. (HB 1233 Apr 16 CSS)\
Apr 11+ SS “Wacousta”: left Louisburg, N.S. Came through the Gut of Canso and Northumberland Strait. No ice met from Louisburg to about 40 miles west of Magdalen Islands. From there to 30 miles east of Gaspé met heavy drift ice. From 30 miles east of Gaspé to Cape Salmon, no ice. Cape Salmon to Québec, light scattered ice. (HB 1234 Apr 23)
Apr 14 First arrival of season at Quebec. (WBB)
Apr 14 Quebec to Magdalen Island – No ice. Cape Ray, Flat Point, Port Hood, Mulgrave, Port Hastings – No ice. Money Point – Light open ice distant. (HH 15/04/1913 p15#5)
Apr 15 L’Islet: light scattered ice. Flat Point: heavy open ice everywhere moving south. Cape Ray: heavy open ice distant. Point Amour: heavy close packed ice everywhere stationary. (HB 1234 Apr 23 CSS)
Apr ~15 Saguenay River: ice still solid. Not expected to clear before two weeks. (HB 1234 Apr 23 CSS)
Apr 16 Canadian Signal Service reports as follows: Flat Point, heavy open ice everywhere 5m off, moving E; Point Amour, light close packed ice inshore, moving W; Belle Isle, heavy open ice distant, moving E; 2 bergs. SS “Lintrose” from Port aux Basques for Sydney reports, met ice 14m from Channel Head, SW by W; loose all the way to Flat Point. SS “Bruce” from Port aux Basques reports, came through 65m of ice, some heavy pieces. (NYMR 23 Apr)
Apr 16 Fame Point – No ice. Cape Ray, Cape Race – No ice. Flat Point – Heavy open ice distant. Steamer “Lintrose,” from Port Aux Basques to Sydney, reports met ice 14 miles form Channel, head southwest by west; loose ice all way to Flat Point; thick fog at time. (HH 17/04/1913 p8#5)
Apr 16 Montreal, with the exception of batturs that are still holding and light scattered ice which is reported to be passing down, the river is now clear and navigation from Montreal to the gulf is open. The Reid-Newfoundland steamer “Lintrose,” however, reports a large quantity of loose ice in he neighborhood of Flat Point, and the “Bruce,” of the same line, was stated at the offices of the shipping federation today to have reported a large quantity of drift ice, which is passing out thru Cabot Straits. It was the presence of this ice which induced the master the Dominion Coal coaster “Wacousta,” instead of passing thru those straits on her way to Quebec, to proceed from Louisburg by the more circuitous route of the Gut of Canso and Northumberland strait. All the indications are that the gulf will soon be as clear as the river is now, and that navigation of the Straits of Belle Isle will be early this year. (HH 18/04/1913 p11#5)
Apr 16 Money Point: light open ice distant. Flat Point: heavy open ice everywhere moving east. Point Amour: light close packed ice inshore moving west. Belle Isle: heavy open ice distant moving east; two bergs. (HB 1234 Apr 23 CSS)
Apr 16 SS “Liatrose” [“Lintrose”]: met ice 14 miles from Channel Head SW. by W.; loose ice all the way to Flat Point. (HB 1234 Apr 23)
Apr 16 SS “Bruce”: came through 65 miles of ice from Port aux Basques; some heavy pieces. (HB 1234 Apr 23)
Apr 17 Flat Point: heavy open ice everywhere moving southeast. (HB 1234 Apr 23 CSS)
Apr 17 SS “Liatrose”: met open ice 10 miles from Channel Head to Flat Point. (HB 1234 Apr 23)
Apr 18 Flat Point: heavy open ice everywhere moving southeast. Point Amour: heavy close packed ice everywhere moving east. Belle Isle: heavy close packed ice distant. (HB 1234 Apr 23 CSS)
Apr 19 Flat Point: heavy open ice everywhere moving northeast and southeast. No ice to northward. Point Amour: heavy close packed ice everywhere moving east. (HB 1234 Apr 23 CSS)
Apr 19 SS “Liatrose”: met heavy loose ice 35 miles from Channel Head. (HB 1234 Apr 23)
Apr 21 SS “Morwenna” steered straight course from Cape Race to Scatari, sighting few strips of ice 20m off Scatari. (NYMR)
Apr 21-22 SS “Montcalm” met no ice from Quebec down to position 65m SE of Cape Gaspé; 22nd, on course from Gaspé, passed 8m E of Bird Rocks, and from latter point to 9m NE of the rocks, saw no ice; from latter place to Burgeo Bank, 65m SE of Cape Ray, met only 2 light strips of ice 7m W of Cape Ray; westward of the latter point, no ice. (NYMR 30 Apr)
Apr 23 Although the east end of the harbor is still ice-bound, Mr. Power began the St. George’s Sandy Point motor service on April 18. (TWS, p.2).
Apr 23-25 SS “Teutonic” 25th, passed heavy field ice 2m south of track and 36m E of Cape Ray; also 2 pieces loose ice north of Cape Ray and inshore. (NYMR 30 Apr)
Apr 25-26 Canadian Signal Service reports as follows: Point Amour, heavy close packed ice everywhere, moving E; Belle Isle, heavy open ice distant, moving SE. (NYMR 7 May)
May 3 Point Amour, heavy close packed ice distant. (HB #1236 May 7)
May 7 There was considerable loose ice at various parts of the outer Bay of Islands the end of last week. (TWS, p.2).
May 8 Point Amour: Light open ice everywhere. (NYMR 14 May)
May 18 Point Amour, heavy close packed ice everywhere. (HB #1238 May 21)
May 24 Point Amour, heavy close packed ice everywhere moving E. (HB #1239 May 28)
Jun 26 First Westbound steamer through the strait of Belle Isle. (WBB)