Below normal -1. (M).
Average volume. (GR).
Northern Ice at St. John’s arrive Feb 20, depart Apr 20. (GR).
At Ferryland, drift ice coming in to shore Feb 2. Ice closed in all the shore and on Feb 24th, 6 vessels to be seen passing along in the ice. 60 sail of the ice fleet passed on Mar 8th. Ice cleared off for the season Apr 20. (JW in GR).
The eastern ice is occasionally driven to the island of St. Pierre and has filled the channel between Crew Point and that island. In 1867 the ice approached Brunett Island between Mar 20th and Apr 5th; this may be considered as the western inshore limit of the eastern ice. (GR).
From Twillingate Diary ice moved out Feb 4 and was back Feb 16. In April there were lots of sailings.
January/February
Feb 26 “Wolf” could not succeed in getting up the Bay through the ice, struck a rock near Torbay. (#704).
March
Mar 4 Several vessels seen from the Hill apparently going south to get out through the ice. (#704).
Mar 5 No heavy ice in Green Bay and but little slob. (PL).
Mar 5 St. John’s: SS “Wolf” left her Feb 25 for Brigus, to fit out for the seal fishery, but meeting ice with a head wind in Conception Bay, put back on the 26th and in entering the Narrows struck a rock of the Northern Head and was damaged but making no water. (LL).
Mar 8-9 “Freihandel” from Bremen to New York 48N 48W passed through large quantities of field ice. (LL).
Mar 9 “Universe” for New York (arrived 28th) off the eastern edge of the Banks met with very foggy weather and passed through a great number of bergs. (LL).
Mar 12-13 SS “Pereire” from New York to Havre passed numerous on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland in 44N which obliged her to proceed slowly. (LL).
Mar 14 Brig “Chas. Smith” from Baltimore Feb 20, at St. John’s ran into field ice in which she remained 3 days. stove port bow, received other damage and was leaking very badly. Put into Bermuda Apr 6 in distress. (SCL).
Mar 14 St. John’s: Since Mar 4 a continued succession of NE winds has blocked the harbour and coast with heavy ice and from the 5th to the 8th some 70 vessels with the steamers, comprising the sealing fleet from here and Conception Bay, could be seen drifting to the southward in the ice. SS “Ospray” put into Bay Bulls on the 11th and several sailing vessels of the sealing fleet have put into the Southern harbours. (LL)
Mar 14 “Chas. Smith” from Baltimore to St. John’s ran into a field of ice and stove port bow with other damage and leaking badly. In the ice 3 days; at Bermuda Mar 14. (LL).
Mar 15 Up to this time since the last (4th) the Harbour has been blocked with ice (reached off today). (#704).
Mar 15 North east winds set in after the sealers left (~Mar 5) driving large numbers of them with the ice to the southward and from the continuance of this wind must have been ice-bound along this coast. Change of wind last night driving off the ice. (Newf.).
Mar 15 St. John’s: Today there is a strong breeze from west, and the ice is moving off. The “Ospray” passed north today. (LL).
Mar 16 St. John’s: Wind NW, strong breeze; the ice has cleared off and the vessels are now able to enter and depart.(LL).
Mar 18 “Stella” from Clyde to St. John’s struck against a heavy piece of ice off Ferryland and carried away cutwater and part of stem. (LL).
Mar 19 “Condor” arrived from Portland. Came thro’ the ice which broke her bows. (#704).
Mar 21 5 sailing vessels and one steamer to be seen in the ice off the Narrows. (#704).
Mar 21 “Southampton” (Capt. Whitney) at New York from London 46N 49W ran into a field of ice which extended 150m to the southward. (LL).
Mar 24 SS “Europe” from Havre to New York 46N 50W met with large fields of ice which compelled her to alter her course to clear, which she did in 43N 53W. (LL).
Mar 25 Good seal catch off Bonavista. (#704).
Mar 25 “City of Washington” at New York 44N passed ice. (LL).
Mar 25 SS “Columbia” at New York from Glasgow 46N 47W and 45N 49W detached ice in very large quantities. (LL).
Mar 26 Long string of icebergs off this harbour (St. John’s). (PL).
Mar 27 SS “Chicago” at New York was detained by ice in 45N 48W. (LL).
Mar 27 SS “North American” from Portland and SS “City of Cork” from New York, both for Liverpool both passed large quantities of ice in 44N 53W. (LL).
Mar 29 Ice moving off, 15 vessels to be seen from the Hill. (#704).
Mar 30 Ice moved off the shore but still some remains in the Harbour preventing egress and ingress. (#704).
Mar 31 SS “Hermann” at New York from Bremen was detained 24 hours by ice from 49W to 53W between 44N and 45N. (LL).
April
Apr Much information on seal catches – ice outside Harbour still a problem. (#704).
Apr 1 Bonavista Bay full of ice and seals. (PL). Apr 3 “Mastiff”, first back, arrived yesterday, struck seals on Mar 14 south of the Funks, bumper trip, reports fair prospects from other vessels. SS “Ospray” has been in sight for some days from Signal Hill with some 15-18 sailing vessels taking seals. Bonavista Bay full of ice. (Newf.).
Apr 5 From Harbour Grace Standard Apr 3: “Mastiff” [as above] drifted down to latitude of Cape Ballard while taking seals till Mar 31. Lots of seals in Bonavista Bay. Good average voyages. (Newf.).
Apr 6 Greenock: A telegram from St. John’s states that the SS “Panther” is well fished and good prospects for sailing vessels. (LL).
Apr 6 SS “Germania” at New York 45N 52W passed several large bergs and fields of ice. (LL).
Apr 7 “Favorite Lass” at Teignmouth from St. John’s was in contact with ice 2 days after sailing, stove in a plank and had to throw part of cargo overboard to stop a leak. (PL).
Apr ~8 SS “Ottawa” at New York 45N 53W saw a large quantity of field ice and several large bergs. (LL).
Apr 9 Reports suggest ice in the neighbourhood of the Funks down C. Bollard. (PL).
Apr 9 Glasgow: A telegram from Newfoundland states that the SS “Lion” and the SS “Bloodhound” had arrived there from the fishing, leaking. (LL).
Apr 9 Dundee: A telegram from Harbour Grace dated Apr 6 states that the SS “Retriever” had arrived with 8,000 seals. The other vessels with the exception of the SS “Lion” and the SS “Bloodhound” are reported bad. The sailing fleet would have as much as would pay the expenses of the voyage but little more. The SS “Mastiff” after discharging 16,000 seals had left again for the fishing ground. (LL).
Apr 11 St. John’s: SS “Ariel” left Apr 7 for the westward and put back to Fermeuse the next day, having met ice round Cape Race. (LL).
Apr 11 “Isabella Ridley” at Harbour Grace from Liverpool, leaky, having been in the ice 16 days. During that time she experienced a very heavy swell which carried away her cutwater, injured rudder and stripped off the greater part of her copper. (LL).
Apr 12 Schooner “Mayflower” from Fogo for the seal fishery was lost in the ice near the Funk Is. (LL).
Apr 13 Father Point: no ice on the river. (LL).
Apr 14 “Maggie” from Harbour Grace to Liverpool 48N 50W fell in with great quantities of ice carrying away the gripe forward and part of the copper off the bottom causing her to leak; was from 10 to 12 days amongst the ice. (LL).
Apr 20 “Haidee” arrived St. John’s from Porto, was 36 days in the ice. Cutwater carried away and copper completely stripped off, foremast sprung and main boom carried away. Brought in Captain and crew of the schooner “Flirt” from New York to this port, stove in the ice Mar 22. (TGCG).
Apr 22 “Superior” struck by a berg off Cape Freels and was abandoned; crew saved. (LL).
Apr 25 SS “Pioneer” from Liverpool put into Louisburg having been unable to enter St. John’s on account of the ice. (LL).
May “Atlanta” sailed May 1 from Harbour Grace heading south passing Cape Race and Cape Pine May 4 with no mention of ice until the 6th at 4556’N 5607’W. Ship passing through ice on the 7th ~ 4642’N 5808’W. (#866).
May 3 SS “Columbia” at New York from the Clyde passed several large bergs near Cape Race, and came through great quantities of field ice on the northern edge of the Grand Bank. (LL).
May 8 SS “Palmyra” for New York 46N 52W passed a number of large bergs. (LL).
May 9 “George Johann” from Bremen to New York 46N 53W saw several bergs. (LL).
May 10 from Harbour Grace Standard: The “Superior” was lost some days ago near the Funks. (Newf.).
May 11 “Devonshire” at Quebec detained 30 hours in ice 30m north of Cape Breton. (LL).
May 11 “Anne Foster” for Quebec saw 2 large bergs jammed in the ice off Cape North, and encountered a good deal of ice all the way up north. (LL).
May 17 Quebec: “Sea King” from Grimsby for here has been lost in the ice; 5 drowned. (LL).
May 23 “Ben Nevis” at Quebec experienced nothing but westerly gales to the Banks and lost 2nd mate overboard; passed large quantities of bergs and loose ice from 46N to 45N and 54W. (LL).
May 25 An editorial on icebergs. (TGCG).
May 26 SS “Germania” at New York from Hamburg from 47N 51W to 46N 53W passed a great quantity of large bergs. (LL).
May 28 Issue: A good year for the seal fishery. (PL).
Jun 13 SS “Cimbria” at New York from Hamburg 47N 49W passed a large berg and another 10m W of Cape Race. (LL).