Normal amount 0. (M).
Average volume. (GR).
Northern ice at St. John’s arrive Feb 8, depart April 10. (No Ferryland account). (GR).
From the log of the brig “Lizzie” from St. John’s to Malaga: Feb 1, left St. John’s, by 3rd at 4450’N 4033’W and no mention of floating ice; 23rd, At Malaga; Mar 9, Departed for Cadiz; Mar 26th, Left Cadiz for St. John’s, hit storm, damaged and returned to Cadiz; 25th, left again; May 23rd, (last entry – remaining pages being torn out) 4554’N 5045’W with no mention of ice. (#837).
January/February
Feb 13-17 SS “City of Halifax” left Halifax for St. John’s, Feb 13. On that night and during the next day she passed through field ice, but at 7 pm got clear of it; 15th, fresh gale; 16th, at 8 am gale moderated; 2 pm off Cape St. Mary’s, passed through slab [sic] ice; 17th, am, off St. John’s heavy ice and thick haze; 8 am stood off shore, the ice being too heavy and the wind packing it in shore; 6 am passed a large berg; 10 am wind hauling from SW, stood for the Narrows, and set all sails; 6 of the crew out ahead cutting ice and taking lines ahead, making fast to the ice, and having on the steam winch; ship drifting to SE with the ice, and working nearer the open water between the land and the ice; pm, fresh breeze with snow squalls; 5 pm, got clear of the ice; 6 pm arrived at the wharf at St. John’s. (LL).
Feb 15 Issue: Coast completely blocked with ice after 3-4 days of easterly winds and impossible for vessels to arrive. (PL).
Feb 15 SS “Thorwaldsen” from Antwerp to New York 48N 50W fell in with a large quantity of field ice and was nearly 3 hours in passing through it. (LL).
Feb 16 NE wind for the last 2-3 days has blocked the coast with ice. (Newf.).
Feb 21 SS “Helvetia” at New York from Liverpool passed several bergs off the Banks of Newfoundland (had encountered bad weather on Jan 31 suffering damage and losing 2 men overboard). (LL).
Feb 23 “Norma” from Bremen to New York 44N 49W passed a berg. (LL).
Feb 24 Greenock: A telegram reports the brig “Jane” of this port to be icebound off St. John’s. (LL).
Feb 25 “Lady Mulgrave” sailed from St. John’s for Figueira with codfish and soon after was surrounded by heavy ice which detained her several days and on clearing encountered violent gales; arrived Figueira Mar 31. (LL).
March
Mar 5 A correspondent from New York Herald is said to have been aboard the “City of Halifax” on Jan 28 caught in a field of 70m of ice off this coast. Also, NE wind for the last 2-3 days has completely blocked up our coast and harbour with ice. (Newf.).
Mar 8 Change of winds clear harbour. (Newf.).
Mar 10-23 SS “Greenland” disaster. 10th, steamed to vicinity of Funk Is. and spent 6 days sealing, but catches stolen; 21st, sealers got separated from ship in storm. Survivors picked up 1 and 2 days later by “Greenland”, “Diana” and “Iceland”. 48 died. Called first at Bay de Verde to use telephone; the port of discharge, Harbour Grace having no hospitals, went on to St, John’s. (NW).
Mar 11 “White Fawn” at Halifax from the Grand Banks experienced bad weather on the Banks and had to pass through ~40m of field ice, ~35m from land. (LL).
Mar 11 “John Franklyn” at Halifax from Cape Breton encountered a great quantity of filed ice 20m of Sambro and was in it 3 days. (LL).
Mar 12 “Thomas Albert” at Halifax from Cienfuegos passed great quantities of field ice [ large quantities of ice in Halifax harbour]. (LL).
Mar 14 Sailing sealer “Queen” crushed by ice while engaged in seal fishery. (NW).
Mar 14 “Strathearn” at New York from Liverpool 47N 47W passed a large quantity of ice. (LL).
Mar 17 The “J B Campbell” did not sail till the 17th, the was cleared Feb 20, the Bay being full of ice. (#866).
Mar 17 Brig “Mercade” reported as having been abandoned at sea, icebound, was bound from Bristol to St. John’s; she was abandoned in Placentia Bay, 17th, and was subsequently towed to Placentia where she was sold by auction. (LL).
Mar 17 “Reine de Prevoyance” from New York to St. John’s with provisions was abandoned in Placentia Bay and afterwards taken in to Placentia by salvors. (LL).
Mar 18 Bristol: A telegram received here states that the “Mercade”, hence to Newfoundland, has been abandoned in a sinking state in the ice; crew saved. (LL).
Mar 18 During an incident a few days ago, no mention of ice between Cape Pine and St. John’s. PL
Mar 19 Schooner “Thetis” from Halifax to Havanna put back after collision with some ice sustaining some damage and leaking. (LL).
Mar 19 Halifax: Great quantity of field ice off the coast. (LL).
Mar 20 St. John’s: The “Caroline Brown” has been totally lost in the ice. (LL).
Mar 22 “City of Halifax” arrived Queenstown Mar 20, 11 days on passage 2 of which were in ice. (Newf.).
Mar 22 Issue: About 4 vessels lost at Harbour grace and Placentia due to severe storm. Ice not specifically mentioned though was mentioned a few days before during persistent easterly winds. (PL). Mar 29 “Cora” from Viana to St. John’s sailed Feb 19, put back for provisions having been shut up in the ice several times near the coast of Newfoundland. (LL).
Mar 30 Large bark seen in the ice off C. Canso, N.S. (NYMR).
Mar 30 Dundee: A cable message received yesterday from St. John’s states that there has been no arrivals, the coast being blockaded with ice. The sealing prospects are said to be poor. (LL).
April
Apr 2 “John B. Campbell from Harbour Grace for New York was dismasted in the gale of the 18th and still remains in the ice off the coast. Also: for the past fortnight our coast has been blocked by an ocean of ice. SS “Tiger” unable to reach here put in at Bay Bulls (arrived afternoon of the 2nd). (PL).
Apr 2 Ice barrier still closed around us due to persistence of NE winds. “Tiger” reports coming through much ice particularly heavy in the Gulf; several vessels were seen by her in the ice off Ferryland. Ice jammed at Cape Spear so put into Bay Bulls. Several vessels mentioned as lost in various places but no ice specifically mentioned and weather has been very stormy. (Newf.).
Apr 3 Montreal: There is said to be more ice in the Gulf of St. Lawrence at present than has ever before been seen at this season. (LL).
Apr 5 The “Greyhound”, “Seaflower”, “Mary Joyce” and “Cecilia”, sealers, were lost previous to this date on the coast of Newfoundland. (LL).
Apr 9 Favoured by a change of wind the great ice field has begun to move off. (PL).
Apr 9 St. John’s: “Caroline Brown” from Denia to Montreal previously reported as lost in the ice, has been picked up derelict and brought in here. (LL).
Apr 9 Brig “Pierre Nolasque” from Boston to St. John’s arrived Canso; she had been detained by ice. (LL).
Apr 10 Ship “Abeana” from the Clyde, and 3 other ships spoken to, off Port-au-Basque unable to enter the Gulf through ice. (LL).
Apr 11 The “Jane Ainsley” arrived at Carbonear from the seal fishery having on board the crew of the brig “J B Campbell” abandoned at sea about Apr 1. The vessel was dismasted on the Mar 18 and afterward so injured in the ice that she sank. (#866).
Apr 15 SS “Tiger” from Nfld. at Halifax reports passing heavy ice fields (doesn’t say where!). ( NYMR).
Apr 15 Glasgow: Intelligence received at Greenock states that the Newfoundland seal fisheries have not been so successful as last year, owing to the heavy packed ice at the fishing ground, which prevented the vessels from getting among the seals; 1 steamer is reported with 3 propellers broken and another steamer is reported as in a dangerous position. The sailing vessel “Kingfisher” had been lost; crew saved. The weather had been very stormy, but by the last account was more settled. (LL).
Apr 15 SS “Tiger” at Halifax from Newfoundland passed heavy ice fields. (LL).
Apr 16 Sealing in numbers off Bonavista. (Newf.).
Apr 17 “Jame Stewart” from Glasgow to St. John’s was seen in the ice off Newfoundland. (LL).
Apr 17 “Electric” at New York from Hamburg 46N 49W passed some large bergs and much drift ice. (LL).
Apr 20-23 “Cairrigorm”, from Clyde to Quebec ran into ice 40 miles E off St. Paul’s. On Apr 23 it got caught again off St. Paul’s. The ice extended from Cape Ray to the SW point of Anticosh. (LL).
Apr 27 Issue: New York (by cable); The “Heimsdahl from Kilrush to Richibucto has been abandoned at sea, icebound, in 46N 59W; crew landed at Cape Breton. (LL).
Apr 28 “Algiers”, of Altona is all bound up in the ice. (LL).
Apr 28 SS “Bloodhound” (I) lost while sealing 6m E of Cape St .Lewis, Labrador. (NW).
Apr 28 The ships “Algiers” of Altona and “Robert Stevenson” of Yarmouth,NS all bound up in the ice. (LL).
Apr 28-May 1 SS “North American” from Liverpool to Quebec encountered heavy field ice 30m NW of Cape Ray and from that date until May 1 made very little progress, the ice being almost impenetrable. (LL).
Apr 29 “Chevalier” is all bound up in the ice, 60 miles NW of Cape Ray. (LL).
Apr 29 “Dolphin” lost at the seal fishery. (#511).
Apr 30 “Hope”, “Eveline”, and “Protector”, are all bound up, unable to proceed on account of the ice 40 miles W of Cape Ray. (LL).
Apr 30 Greenock: The “James Stewart” arrived at St. John’s from the Clyde, had been surrounded by icebergs for a month, and had received assistance from the SS “Ranger”; vessel much chafed. (LL).
May 1 “Golconda”, from Liverpool to Quebec, struck the ice and foundered, 18 miles from Cape Ray. (LL).
May 1 Ships “Marion”, “Kerch”, “St. Lawrence”, Natolid”, Thorndean”, “Frenchman”, “Homely”, of Jersey, and a fleet of others, were all bound up in the ice, 23 miles W and S of Cape Ray. (LL).
May 4 “Golden Light”, from Barrow to Halifax, fell in with ice, about 40 miles SSE of the Virgin Rocks, and was in it for 15 days. (LL).
May 4 Gulf of St. Lawrence still full of ice. Ship damaged there on the 5th. (NYMR).
May 6 Greenock: A telegram from St. John’s reports the total loss of the sealing steamer “Bloodhound”. (LL).
May 7 New of the loss of the steamers “Retriever” and “Bloodhound” and the sailing vessel “Huntsman”. News also of the loss of the “Dolphin” and “Glencoe”. (Newf.). May 8 Issue: Intelligence has been received at Liverpool of the loss in the ice at Battle Harbour, of the “Lord Clyde” and the SS “Retriever”; the news was brought in by the SS “Mastiff” which had returned to Newfoundland with 1,000 seals. (LL).
May 8 “Sweet Home”, and “Flora”, both bound seal fishing, were abandoned in the ice, off the West coast of NF. (LL).
May 9 Greenock: The vessels, “Rebecca”, “Ellen”, and “Primus” are reported lost in the ice this spring. (LL).
May 11-12 “SS Redwater”, to Quebec from Liverpool, passed Cape Race and through several icebergs on May 11. On May 12 it got into field-ice about 50 miles WNW of Cape Ray. Much of the ice was from 6-10 feet thick, but easily broken through. (LL).
May 12 Loss of “Huntsman” of Bay Roberts st the seal fishery with 43 captain and crew. (Newf.).
May 18 “Royal Charter”,from Antwerp to Montreal; “Tadmor”, from Grangemouth to New York, are all icebound. (LL).
May 18 “Alabama”, to Harbour Grace, from Liverpool, has been prevented by the ice from making either that port or St. John’s. (LL).
May 25 Advices from Halifax NS state that the coast to the Eastward was seriously obstructed by ice, and that the Strait of Canso was full of vessels unable to proceed. ( LL).
May 25 “Cornelia”, from Grimsby to Quebec, has been sunk by ice. (LL).
May 28 SS “Chrysolite” from New Orleans to Liverpool put in here short of coal being unable to get in at Cow Bay and Sydney because of heavy pack ice. (Newf.).
Jun 7 From New York May 28: The Times published details of the recent dreadful series of catastrophes which occurred to the sailing fleet on the coast of Labrador and Newfoundland. Up to the latest possible mail over 40 vessels including 4 steamships had been heard of as total wrecks having been dashed to pieces amid huge icebergs and plains of ice during a terrific hurricane [report exaggerates but perhaps 12 lost or missing]. (Newf.).
No mention of ice on the Grand Banks or off Nfld in NYMR.
SS “Retriever” lost while sealing off Cape St. Louis, Labrador. (SR).
Lost at the seal fishery, no date: “Lord Clyde”, “Nora”, “Greyhound”, “Primus”, “John & Elizabeth”, “Kate” and “Cecilia”. (#511).
Sailing sealers “Greyhound” and “Kingfisher” lost at seal fishery. (NW).
In 1872, 100 men perished, 50 going down with the “Huntsman” on the coast of Labrador.
The “Bloodhound” and “Retriever” were lost the same year, crews escaping to Battle Harbour. (DML).