Minimal amount -2 (M).
Very little ice. (GR).
At Ferryland, generally very mild winter, with very little drift ice to be seen. No stoppage to navigation during the winter. (JW in GR).
February
Feb 12 St. John’s: The weather is fine and the coast is clear of ice. (LL).
Feb 26 St. John’s: No ice to be seen near the coast from this neighbourhood. (LL).
Feb 28 St. John’s: Within the last 3 days a good deal of drift ice has come along from the northward, but it is very loose, and of no great breadth, a few hours off shore wind would clear the coast again. (LL).
March
Mar 19 St. John’s: Brigantine “Julia Deagle” from hence to Oporto sank near Toad’s [or Foad’s] Cove
Mar 16 having struck a pan of ice about 200m off the land, which stove her bow. (LL).
Mar 22 Issue: Seal fishery looks good. (PL).
Mar 30 St. John’s: Wind south; coast clear of ice from Cape St.Francis northward; northward of Cape there is still a pack close in with the land. (LL).
April
Apr 8 Brig “Sir Gaspard Le Marchand” was lost New Harbour. Trinity Bay was full of ice and several vessels jammed. (#511).
Apr 8 (from telegram from Old Perlican): Our Bay is full of ice with several vessels jammed in it. (Newf.).
Apr 9 The “Perseverance” from Hamburg to Newfoundland was lost in the ice ~140m ENE of St. John’s; master picked up after 18 days exposure in the boat by the “Lord Petrie” and taken to Montreal; the crew all died in the boat. (LL).
Apr 17 Barque “Rectitude” from Dundee to Quebec struck ice 35m NW C. Ray, sunk. (Newf.).
Apr 24 New York: SS “Columbia” had put into Halifax for coals, having been in the ice. (LL).
Apr 26 Issue: “Prospero” left Liverpool for St. John’s Mar 14, struck an iceberg and went down. Some crew picked up by the French brig “France” Apr 23 [report in LL date St. John’s Apr 22 !]. (PL).
May 1 SS “Bohemian” arrived Quebec, struck an iceberg near Cape Race but no serious damage. (LL).
May 4 Quebec: “Jane” from Liverpool to St. John’s and the “Powerful” have been lost in the ice; the crew of the “Powerful” were picked up by the “Columbia”. [“Jane” struck by the ice and foundered in 47N 47W; crew also picked up by the SS “Columbia”]. [it would appear that the “Powerful” was not lost, after all]. (LL).
May 6 The “Tronsite” [should probably be “Transit” – Newf, LL] from Liverpool on May 7 at 4756’N 4740’W picked up the captain and crew of the brig “British Queen”, of Whitehaven, which vessel struck the Ice on May 6, and after some few hours went down; the British Queen was from Liverpool to Greenspond, salt laden. (PL).
May 7 “Earl of Harewood” from Liverpool to Harbour Grace, having got in the ice in 48N 47W was stove and sunk; crew saved and brought hither by the “Globe”. (LL).
May 8 SS “Jura” from Quebec, May 4, to Londonderry passed through a large number of icebergs. (LL).
May 9 SS “Arago” to New York 48N 47W fell in with large fields of packed ice and numerous large detached pieces. (LL).
May 11 Gaspé: Schooner “Secret” from London to St. John’s was struck by the ice off Newfoundland and immediately sunk; crew picked up after 7 days exposure in their boat and brought here by the “True Blue”. (LL).
May 12-13 Barque “Royal Bride” from Swansea to Montreal struck the ice at night and sunk immediately; crew picked up next day in 46N 47W and landed at New York by the “Prairie Flower”. (LL).
May 15 SS “Bohemian” from Quebec to Londonderry saw about 26 bergs. (LL).
May 17 Quebec: Two of the crew of the “Robert Burns” from Cardiff were taken off floating ice in 48N 48W by the “Symetry”, the rest supposed to have perished. (LL).
May 21-22 “Mathurin Cor” for Havre between 41N and 43N and 51W and 48W fell in with great quantities of ice. (LL).
May 23 “David” spoke “Caesar” in 44N 48W from Hamburg to Quebec with bowsprit and foremast gone, and bows stove, having been in contact with an iceberg; the vessel being in a sinking state, the crew got on board the “David” and landed Liverpool Jun 12. (LL).
May 25 “Casilda” for Baltimore 43N 49W fell in with ice, and within the distance of 40m large bergs, field ice, and detached pieces from bergs, extending as far as the eye could reach. (LL).
May 28 “Heather Bell” arrived Quebec, had on board the master and 3 of the crew of the “Matilda” from Liverpool to Montreal which had foundered in 47N 48W; the remaining crew were on board the “Jane Lowden” from Fowey to Quebec, which was leaking from injury in the ice. (LL).
May 28 St. John’s: A recent arrival from the northward reports a considerable quantity of heavy Arctic ice near the coast, extending from the latitude of Cape Freels to the Labrador. (LL). May 30 Ship “Pampero” from Havre to New York 4505’N 4740’N passed a ship with bows stove in, having been in the ice, 7 icebergs being then in sight. (SCL).
Jun 1 St. John’s: Barque “Abbey Craig” from Liverpool to St. John, NB put in here with cutwater and stem much damaged, having been in contact with ice. (LL). Jun 4 SS “Canadian” from Quebec to Liverpool was lost in the Straits of Belle Isle from striking on an iceberg; she went down in ½ hour. (LL).
Jun 4 SS “Canadian” from Quebec to Liverpool sank in heavy ice off Cape Bauld. (JPA).
Jun 11-14 SS “North Briton” from Quebec to Liverpool reports that she was 70 hours through ice and fog; on the 11th she passed several bergs; ice became very thick; 12th, no passage could be found; 14th, steered for SE and found a passage; she reports that 24 passengers and 10 of the crew of the SS “Canadian” were supposed to have been lost; the master and those saved went to St. John’s in a French vessel; the 1st and 4th officers and 5 seamen were left behind to intercept the “North Briton”, which attempted but could not get south, owing to impenetrable ice and fogs. (LL).
Jun 12 Issue: Barque “Geestemunde” from Bremen to New York, no position, no date, [May 25, 44N 49W – LL] saw what was believed to be a packet ship, apparently abandoned, surrounded by ice with most masts gone, and cut by ice. (SCL).
Jun 12 SS “Saxonia” at Southampton from New York passed numerous bergs in from 47N to 48N between 50W and 53W. (LL).
Jun 14 St. John’s: French barque “Jules” arrived with all the surviving crew and passengers of SS “Canadian” excepting the chief officer and 5 men left behind, reports a large quantity of ice between Straits of Belle Isle and the latitude of Cape Bonavista. (LL).
Jun 19 “Galconda” at Liverpool from Quebec passed numerous bergs between 53W and 41W. (LL).
Jun 20 SS “Hibernia” for Liverpool 50N 45W passed several bergs. (LL).