Maximum amount +2 M
A very large volume. Large bodies of ice on the banks May 20 and May 30 with ice extending from the Virgin Rocks to the tail of the bank. (GR).
At Ferryland, harbour frozen Feb 2nd. On 21st, drift ice came in and filled all the harbours and did not clear for good until Apr 1. (JW in GR).
Jul 3rd, a heavy jam off Cape Freels; Fogo and Funk Islands wrapped in ice until Jul 12th. Ice in St. John’s, Jun 2nd. French ships did not get in until the middle of July. Three crushed by ice. Ice in White Bay, Jul 2nd. (GR).
The winters of 1861-62 … .. were confessedly severe in the extreme [and this one] almost unprecedented (from Sailing Directions for the Island of Newfoundland 1873). (#837).
A cold and backward season. Famine amongst the residents of the north. Fields of ice of enormous extent met from the 20th to the 30th of May 100 leagues to the east of Newfoundland. Ships of the coast did not effect an entrance to the harbours before the middle of July. 29 ships out of 88 attempted to cross the banks from the 1st to the 7th of July, these were crushed by the ice. The west coast free much sooner. The strait of Belle Isle open on June 28th. (Capt’n Humann in GR).
January/February
Jan 29 SS “Teutonia” from New York to Southampton 46N 48W met with large ice fields and kept 40m S before she could get through them. (LL).
Feb 2 SS “Africa” at Queenstown from Boston was detained 36 hours by a field of ice. (LL).
Feb 6 Issue, from Queenstown: SS “Damascus” from New York Jan 23, St. John’s 28th, encountered great quantities of ice. (SCL).
Feb 10 SS “Bavaria” for New York 48N 46W passed through field ice for 18 hours. (LL).
Feb 13 Tel. from Aspee Bay, CB, coast ice-bound. (Newf.).
Feb 18 Issue: Harbour (Grace) and Bay a mass of ice. Mostly cleared a few days later. (HGS).
Feb 23 SS “Damascus” reports ice breadth off C. Spear at 300m 4510’W (GR).
Feb 24-27 The “London” for New York 45N 48W saw several bergs; 27th, 45N 49W met with a large field of ice with a number of bergs and had to run 80m SSW to get clear of it. (LL).
Feb 25 Harbour Grace: Some property has been received from the inhabitants who plundered the wreck of the “Rothesay” from New York to this port, stranded at Conception Bay, Feb 4, and it will be brought up by the steamer which was sent down when the ice permits. (LL).
Feb 26 SS “North American” from Portland to Londonderry at 8.45 pm reduced speed passing through detached portions of field ice and icebergs till 10.20 pm. On 27th passed a large berg in 45N 45W. (SCL).
Feb 26-27 SS “New York” for New York 45N 49W passed a great number of bergs. (LL).
Feb 26-Mar 10 “Whistler” from Rotterdam to New York 44N 44W saw a large berg; 28th, 44N 48W at daylight was surrounded by bergs, passing 15 in 3 hours; at 11:30 am fell in with field ice; steered SSE the whole sea as far as visible being covered with ice; all night was among icebergs; saw the last one Mar 10 43N 50W (arrived New York Mar 18). (LL).
Feb 27 SS “Bloodhound” reports ice breadth off C. Spear at 250m. (GR?).
Feb 27 SS “Etna” from New York to Liverpool passed through field ice and saw several small bergs in 4350’N 49W and in 4450’N 4520’W passed 2 bergs. (SCL).
Feb 27 “Amazon” from London, 12th, to New York 47N 43W fell in with large bergs and steered 120m to the southward.
Feb 30[?] “Energy” from New York to Liverpool 4415’N 4724’W was 13 hours in field ice. (SCL)
March
Mar — 10 French vessels lost, also war(ship?) “Grape Shot” , letter form Lance a’ Loup. (#866).
Mar 3-5 “Germania” from Havre to New York 43N 49W saw berg; 5th, another in 52N. (LL).
Mar 6 “Talisman” at New York from London 47N 46W came up with field ice and icebergs, ran to the SSE 2 days before getting clear, and was 3 times enclosed in field ice. (LL).
Mar 6-8 “Edmund Preston” at Dublin from Baltimore with part of cargo thrown overboard and fore compartment full of water, having struck a berg. (LL).
Mar 9 “Antarctica” at New York from Liverpool 44N 50W passed through much field ice. ( LL).
Mar 9 Whole sealing fleet detained by NE and E winds until 7th when fine westerly winds cleared the way [though does not specifically mention ice]. (Newf.).
Mar 9 An unnamed boat struck a pan of ice in the Narrows and immediately went down. No lives lost (from Day Book). (HGS).
Mar 10 “Weathergage” at Halifax from Harbour Breton for New York, leaky, had encountered ice the entire passage. (LL).
Mar 10 “Gauss” from Liverpool to Baltimore 42N 50W (another account says 60W) was surrounded by bergs and was obliged to make a southerly course to clear them. (LL).
Mar 13 SS “Edward” at Liverpool from Matamaras passed through several fields and large quantities of ice off the S end of the Banks of Newfoundland. (LL). Mar 17 Issue: a comparison of winter climate 1863 with 1818, the harbour and far outside presenting a solid unbroken (except by vessels) surface. Of 1818 it says – Anspach p.274 – the beginning of 1818 was remarkable for the intense frost during the months Jan – Mar with great severity. On Feb 10 the harbour of St. John’s was frozen over below Cain Rocks to a considerable thickness. (PL).
Mar 18 SS “Hibernian” from Portland, 15th, to Lough Foyle, 25th, passed a berg. (LL).
Mar 19 The SS “Wolf” arrived at the Narrow, 40 days from home, and passed on to the northward. She was boarded from the shore. Had encountered immense fields of ice. (Newf.).
Mar 19 “F.H. Taylor” at New York from London 47N 47W passed several large bergs. (LL).
Mar 21 St. John’s: No ice to be seen near this part of the coast, and the southern part is also said to be clear. (LL).
Mar 23 The winter has been the severest we remember, even at this late date experiencing the cold of February. But variable winds favourable to the sealers [again no mention of ice]. (Newf.).
Mar 26-27 “Thornton” from Liverpool to New York 46N was surrounded by field ice. (LL).
April
Apr 1 SS “Norwegian” from Portland, Mar 29, to Lough Foyle, 8th, passed several bergs. (LL).
Apr 3-7 “Liverpool” to New York from Liverpool 44N 44W saw 2 bergs; 6th, in 48W saw large quantities of field ice and was obliged to steer SSE 50m to clear it; next day 41N 47W saw a large berg. (LL).
Apr 6 “Malta” from Clyde to New York 46W to 50W saw a number of bergs and some field ice. (LL).
Apr 6 SS “Dido” arrived yesterday from London, encountered large quantities of ice. (Newf.).
Apr 6 SS “Saxonia” from New York to Hamburg 43N 48W saw unusually large bergs. (LL).
Apr 10 “Seth Sprague” at New York 44N 48W passed large quantities of field ice. (LL).
Apr 12 “Radama” at New York from Cardiff 44N 58W passed through large quantities of field ice. (LL).
Apr 12 Ship “Himalaya” from Liverpool Mar 21 for Montreal lost in the ice, crew later taken to St. John’s. (SCL).
Apr 13 “Gazelle” arrived Figuera from St. John’s; 3 days after leaving St. John’s encountered very heavy ice, when she struck violently, and stove her larboard bow, causing her to make a great deal of water, but after throwing overboard a part of the cargo forward, the leak was in a great measure stopped. (LL).
Apr 16 Favourable prospects for the sealers – a fair average year. (Newf.).
Apr 17 “Patruus” from Jersey to Arichat 47N 38W saw a berg and remained among heavy ice to 50W. (LL).
Apr 21 “Java” at New York from Clyde in 46N 40W to 50W saw a great many bergs, supposed about 500. (LL).
Apr 21 Father Point: Very little ice in river. (LL).
Apr 24 SS “Louisiana” left Sandy Hook for Liverpool and saw a great many bergs in 43N 52W and stopped engines for 16 hours during a dense fog. (LL).
Apr 26-27 SS “Isis” for Liverpool 42N 50W passed several bergs. (LL).
Apr 27 “Anglo Saxon” wrecked 4m E of Cape Race in dense fog. No mention of ice. (PL).
(despite the comparison made with 1818 there is hardly any mention of ice in PL).
Apr 27 “Brian Boroimhe” from Bristol to Quebec 46N 47W ran into an immense body of ice and was in it 30 hours; broke away the ship’s stem from lower hold stays to forefoot, making from 12′ to 15′ water per hour. (LL).
Apr 28 Ship “Courier” from Havre to Boston ran into a field of heavy ice cutting through the cutwater and twisted the head of the rudder; 30th, ran into another field of ice where she saw among it a large ship with all sails furled. (SCL).
Apr 28 “Isabella Ridley” from Liverpool to Harbour Grace 47N 47W fell in with ice and picked up a number of cases. (LL).
Apr 28 “John Parker” from Liverpool to Quebec 48N 47W struck a field of ice in a thick fog, which carried away the fore gripe [many other vessels arriving Quebec with damage due to ice]. (LL).
Apr 28 “Hemisphere” from Liverpool to New York 45N 57W during a thick fog fell in with large quantities of field ice and was detained in it 7 days, receiving some slight damage by coming in collision with it; when the fog cleared away she saw 11 ships in the ice; on the same day she spoke the ship “Clio” which had been in the ice 5 days; 30th, 43N 48W fell in with the ice again and was detained 2 days; same day spoke the ship “Austria” bound to Quebec which had been in the ice 5 days and had received some damage; arrived New York May 17. (LL).
Apr 28 “Harlequin” from Clyde to Quebec 48N 46W got into fields of ice; got clear 45N 49W. (LL).
Apr 28-May 5 “Courier” from Havre to Boston ran into a field of very heavy ice, which cut through her cutwater, and in backing out to clear it she twisted her rudder head; the weather was thick at the time. On the 30th, ran into another field of ice, and saw in it a large ship with sails furled; was afterwards frequently amongst ice and icebergs until May 4, on which day she spoke to the “Sylvia”, from Liverpool to Boston, which had also been in the ice, and reported a number of other vessels in the same position. On the 5th, 43N 50W saw 6 large bergs. (LL).
Apr 29 “Canada” seen by the “Able Seaman” amongst ice and bergs and shortly afterwards suddenly disappeared. (LL).
Apr 30 On Apr 27 news of the loss of the “Anglo Saxon” at Clam Cove near Cape Race with 238 passengers and crew. Doesn’t appear to have been any ice around. (Newf.).
May 1 The ship “Princess Royal” was stove in with ice 4330’N 4710’N and in about 20 minutes went down. Crew took to the boats and were rescued. Also, the large ship “Canada” seen at sea 300m from here abandoned with forecompartment injured. (Newf.).
May 1 “Heinrich v. Gagem” at New York from Guernsey 49N 50W-60W saw a large number of bergs. (LL).
May 1 Ship “Albion” from Clyde to Montreal was spoken to in the ice, by “Isabella Ridley” from Harbour Grace. (LL).
May 1 “Mary Blades” from London to Quebec passed in 46N 46W with the loss of rudder and false stem, having lost them in the ice. (LL).
May 1 “George Ankle” from Fowey to Quebec ran into a field of ice in 39W which damaged her stem and stove a plank in the starboard bow, and was 16 days in it before she got clear. (LL).
May 2 4530’N 49W a collision, but no ice mentioned. (SCL).
May 3 “Snow Thomas” left London Apr 2 and when in 4950’N 4750’W struck a pan of ice and began to fill. Crew took to jolly boats and after 9 days reached Bird Island Cove (near Bonavista) on May 12 with some fatalities. (Newf.).
May 3 “Canada” (iron ship) was boarded by the “Attilla” of St. John’s in 47N 48W having been abandoned in the ice, forward compartment gone. (LL).
May 3 “Escort” of Boston from Liverpool 36N 45W sinking with bows stove by ice, crew being taken off by barque. (LL).
May 3 “Queen Victoria” 49W made large fields of ice remained jammed till 6th. (LL).
May 4 “Melita” for Liverpool 45N 49W – 50W passed several bergs. (LL).
May 4 “William & Jane” at New York 58N 38W was surrounded for 11 days by icebergs and field ice and saw 117 bergs in 14 hours. (LL).
May 4 “Thos. Dunham” from Cardiff to New York 49N 51W in a thick fog, ran into a large pack of field ice and bergs and remained in it for 11 days during which 22 sail were seen in it, and 1 ship on an iceberg; sailed 287m through the ice. (LL).
May 5 “Klawitter” at New York from Cardiff from 45N to 42N and 45W to 52W saw a large number of bergs. (LL).
May 5 “Henrietta” saw 10 large vessels with sails furled in the ice 48N 48W. (LL).
May 6 SS “Alpha” arrived Halifax from the Clyde was 10 days amongst the ice and saw a number of vessels in it.(LL).
May 8 Ship “Iona” at Quebec from Liverpool passed through great quantities of ice from the Banks to the SW point of Anticosti & saw a great number of vessels in the ice. (LL).
May 8 “Margaret” at Quebec from Barcelona was detained 10 days in the ice; was off Anticosti on Apr 26. (LL).
May 13 “Venus” from Poole to Greenspond and Fogo put into Carbonear on account of the ice. (LL).
May 15 “Nubia” at Quebec from Londonderry was 5 days in the ice on the Banks of Newfoundland and carried away her stern post and rudder. (LL).
May 21 SS “Norwegian” from Quebec to Lough Foyle passed several large bergs. (LL).
May 23 “Mary Jane” from Porto Rico to London passed the side of a large vessel surrounded by bergs on the Banks Of Newfoundland. (LL).
May 25 Quebec: “Parsee” from Galway to Quebec lost in the ice ~36m E of the Banks of Newfoundland. (LL).
May 25 “Standley” at New York from Poole in 44N-45N fell in with large quantities of field ice and bergs. (LL).
May 28 St. John’s: Within the last week a good deal of drift ice has come along from the northward, but as it is very loose and of no great breadth, a few hours of off shore wind would clear the coast. (LL).
May 29 St. John’s: The “Spirit of the Times” from Liverpool to Harbour Grace has foundered in the ice off Petty Harbour. (LL).
Jun 1 St. John’s: The NE wind which has been blowing for the greater part of the last fortnight, has brought a large quantity of ice in the coast, which yesterday morning came in large quantities and this morning the harbour is full of heavy ice extending outward as far as Cape Spear. (LL).
Jun 2 St. John’s: Wind WSW, harbour nearly clear of ice. (LL).
Jun 4 (From Harbour Grace Standard of yesterday): Barque “Spirit of the Times” off Petty Harbour May 28 struck a piece of ice and immediately sank. (Newf.).
Jun 6 St. John’s harbour blocked with ice. (#866).
Jun 10 Harbour Grace: The master and 3 men of the “Thomas” from London to Quebec, with government stores, which was lost in the ice in 49N 48W on May 12, arrived here Jun 7; the crew all landed near C. Bonavista May 21, but 5 died from exhaustion on landing. (LL).
Jun 11 Extraordinary weather ‘the oldest inhabitant’ ransacks his memory in vain but for year 1832 when the ice held defiant possession of our harbour the last days of June (NE to SE winds. (Newf.)
Jun 11 St. John’s: There is still a heavy body of northern ice hanging about the coast in with the land between this place & Bonavista Cape, and probably further north. (LL).
Jun 18 SS “Jura” from Quebec to Liverpool passed several bergs. (LL).