Almost maximum amount +1.5. (M).
Average volume. (GR).
Northern ice at st. John’s arrive Feb 3, depart Feb 15. (GR).
At Ferryland, Feb 11 ocean was all covered as far as the eye could reach. Drift ice came in Apr 8 and closed all harbours till 17th when cleared off for the season. (JW in GR). #704 – few entries for the year and these deal mainly with seal catches. No information on ice. Seals plentiful in Green Bay and French Shore.
January/February
Jan 24 SS “Colorado” from New York to Liverpool 45N 47W sighted a berg. (LL).
Feb 12 SS “Nevada” from Liverpool to New York 49N 45W fell in with large fields of ice. (LL).
Feb 16 SS “City of Cork” from New York to Liverpool 45N 47W passed several icebergs. (LL).
Feb 18 SS “City of Baltimore” for New York passed a large berg. (LL).
Feb 18 SS “Hibernian” from Portland to Lough Foyle passed through a tract of light field ice. (LL).
Feb 19 “Yumuri” from Savannah to Liverpool 43N 46W was in a field of ice for ~3 hours during a fog and was compelled to run back. (LL).
Feb 24 Ship “Renfrew” sailed from Greenspond, beat on and off shore, inside and outside of numerous floes of ice until St. Patrick’s Day, with little fishery. Mar 19, ship jammed in ice, 200m from land. 20th, ice raftering in NE gale and ship sprung a leak and eventually sank, crew took to ice. Apr 2, picked up by “Argus”. Apr 10, spotted the Northern grey Is., driving all night with a strong gale, heavy sea and a great deal of running ice which could not keep clear of. 11th, Ship “Argus” damaged and pushed up over ice ~1½m from South Grey Is. Ship abandoned, and sunk a few days later as the ice loosened, and drifted towards French Shore. About 13th, crew picked up by sealing vessels, but soon after got jammed in White Bay for 3 weeks, getting clear May 3. Brig “Packet”, which earlier had taken some crew, lost in Green Bay, and another near Secret Island. (NW).
Feb 24 “Harzburg” from Hamburg to New York 49N 45W passed through a large field of small ice. (LL).
Feb>26 “Reine de Prevoyance” from Harbour Grace to Exeter put into St. John’s injured by ice. ( LL).
March
Mar — Sailing sealer “Renfrew” lost at seal fishery ~150m E of the Spotted Is., Labrador. (NW).
Mar 1 “Cynosure” from Liverpool to New York 44N 50W saw a number of large icebergs. (LL).
Mar 9 “Clara Wheeler” from Liverpool to New York 48N 48W passed S of a very large field of ice extending as far as the eye could reach. (LL).
Mar 29 “Spruce Bud” at St. John’s from Halifax had part of her stem and cutwater carried away and lost rudder and braces in heavy ice in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. (LL).
April
Apr 5 No ice to be seen off Channel. (PL).
Apr 9 The “Nimrod” first sealer back. She wintered at Jackson’s Arm on the French Shore and put out on the 10th (March). Struck the seals on Mar 24 near Belle Isle in the strait, a number of other vessels there. Captain believes seals will be taken on the French Shore and in White Bay, also probably Green Bay if winds continue easterly. (Newf.).
Apr 12 Brigantine “Packet” was lost in the ice near Twillingate, seal fishing. (LL).
Apr 16 Most fearful NE gale within memory at this time of year began last night and continues to rage with extreme violence. No doubt will hear of disasters. Also, “Elfrida” lost last night at Mosquito Point with fatalities. (Newf.).
Apr 16 Sailing sealer “Selah Hutton” lost 2m NW of Blackhead, Bonavista Bay; crew got to Greenspond in 2 skiffs. (NW).
Apr 16 Quebec: The river is clear of ice. (LL).
Apr 18 “Isaac Webb” from Liverpool to New York 46N 53W passed a number of icebergs. (LL).
Apr 19 NE gale filled Harbour Grace harbour full of ice, storm and ice responsible for the loss of the “Emerald” and the “Elfrida”. (JPA).
Apr 20 Greenock: Seal fishery favourable. (LL).
Apr 20 St. John’s: The “Elfrida” of and for Harbour Grace from the seal fishery was totally wrecked at Mosquito Point in a snow storm Apr 15, 7 men killed by falling mainmast. (LL).
Apr 21 “Emerald” dragged with the ice and wrecked on Feather Point of Harbour Grace on 16th. Schooner “Gratitude” was lost on the Funks in the gale of Sunday 11th, crew took to the ice. Schooner “Queen” badly damaged by ice also on the 11th. [where ?] (William S. Whelan mentioned as arriving 18th). (Newf.).
Apr 23 “Volunteer” lost Stinking Is. (#866).
Apr 23 From Harbour Grace Standard – description of “Elfrida” being caught in the ice and dashed to pieces on Mosquito Point. (Newf.).
Apr 24 St. John’s: Brig “Volunteer” was lost at the seal fishery. (LL).
Apr 26 SS “City of Paris” at New York from Liverpool 46N 43W passed a large iceberg. (LL).
Apr 26 “Carleton” from Glasgow to Quebec struck a piece of ice near St.Paul’s which stove in her starboard bow. (LL). Apr 27 Greenock: A telegram states that the SS “Panther” has arrived at St.John’s with 7,000 seals. The sailing sealers “Primrose Bank”, “Elizabeth” and “Emerald”, all of St. John’s, had been lost in the ice. (LL).
Apr 29 SS “Ariel” from Copenhagen to New York 48N 47W passed a number of bergs. (LL).
Apr 30 SS “Ottawa” at Quebec saw 6 bergs but no drift ice. (LL).
May 11 Cold and wet weather with E winds for 5-6 weeks, but no mention of ice. (Newf.).
May 13 Issue: The “Susan” arrived Harbour Grace. Saw 2 steamers jammed in the ice near Grey Islands 6 days before. Brought part of the crew of “Wm Whelan” lost near Belle Isle on Apr 12. (PL).
May 17 SS “Hammonia” at New York from Hamburg between 47N 51W and Cape Race passed several large bergs. (LL).
May 17-18 SS “European” from Liverpool to Quebec 47N 57W passed 2 bergs and next day 46N 57W, 2 larger ones. (LL).
May 19 “Kewadin” from PEI to Liverpool 47N 51W passed several bergs. (LL).
May 21 “Alexander Marshall” from Liverpool to New York 47N 52W passed 2 large bergs and a quantity of floating ice. (LL).
Jun 1 “Crest of the Wave” from Rotterdam to New York 47N 55W passed between 2 large bergs. (LL).
Jun 9 SS “Columbia” at New York from the Clyde passed a number of bergs off Cape Race. (LL).
Jun 14 “Gleniffer” at Greenock from Montreal passed several bergs S of Cape Pine. (LL).
Jun 14 SS “Caledonia” at New York from Glasgow passed several large bergs and a quantity of field ice off Cape Race. (LL).
Jun 20 SS “City of Boston” from New York to Queenstown passed 4 bergs. (LL).
(Mention of a few sealers lost in TGCG but no real information)
Lost at the seal fishery, no date: “Isabel”, “Britannia”, “Ergo”, “Othello”, “Volunteer”, “Elfrida”, and “Wm Whelan” and at spring fishery “Palestine”. (#511).
Sailing sealer “Vulcan” lost striking an iceberg off Cape Race. NW
Sailing sealer “Perseverance” lost at seal fishery. (NW).