almost all field ice and bergs in the area immediately under the New- 

 foundland coast and southwest, south and southeast of Cape Race. 

 The unusually open conditions in the Davis Strait, Baffin Bay region, 

 especially along the Labrador coast, mentioned above, may conceiv- 

 ably have had an influence on the following ice season. It would be 

 interesting to see if, over a period of years, a correlation could be 

 found between the quantity and distribution of the ice in the Grand 

 Banks area and conditions along the Labrador coast the preceding 

 fall and winter. 



It is not unusual for field ice or even a few bergs to be reported on the 

 north and northeastern slopes of the Grand Banks in the middle and 

 latter part of January, but the large number of bergs, and their dis- 

 tribution, existing from January 14 on, this year, shows without doubt 

 that there was much unreported ice in the early days of January or 

 even in the latter part of December. Tract F was blocked by field 

 ice, track E had scattered bergs obstructing it east of longitude 50° W 

 and at least two bergs had even crossed track C before the end of Jan- 

 uary. These same conditions existed through the middle of February 

 when there was a definite change in the distribution and movement of 

 the bergs and field ice which caused the concentration of all ice along 

 the Newfoundland coast and south of Cape Race which continued 

 throughout the season. This situation completely blocked track F 

 during March and April and this route was seriously obstructed by 

 numerous bergs through May and June. Track E was impassable 

 only in March but was distinctly unsafe at night in fog until the first 

 of May. The only menace to the United States-European routes 

 after January existed between April 11 and 30. During this period 

 13 bergs drifted south of latitude 45° N., along the eastern edge of the 

 Banks, one reaching the extreme southern latitude for the year, latitude 

 42°07' N. Tracks B, C, and D were clear of ice for the season May 1. 

 All routes except track G, Belle Isle route, were entirely clear by 

 August 1. Through August the only ice reports along the steamer 

 routes were a few bergs in the vicinity of Belle Isle. It is estimated 

 that 470 bergs drifted south of latitude 48° N., during the season. 

 This compares fairly well with the forecast number, 600 bergs south of 

 that latitude. No loss of life directly attributable to ice conditions 

 occurred this season although one vessel collided with an iceberg 

 in the Straits of Belle Isle in June. Little damage was sustained and 

 she continued her voyage under her own power. Considerable delay 

 and some slight damage was experienced by vessels bound to New- 

 foundland ports, or attempting to run through the ice on track F, 

 during February, March, and April. Only one iceberg drifted south 

 of the Tail of the Banks (latitude 43° N.) durhig the season 1937. 



