Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-08-21
DREADFUL COLLISION AT SEA.

By the mail of yesterday received the Boston papers
Monday and Tuesday, which furnish the particulars of the
terrible loss of life incurred by passengers board the
Swedish barque Iduna from coming in collision with
the ship Shanunga, Of which had partial (though
entirely corect) account by Telegraph two days ago.
The Iduna from Hamburg, bound for New York, with
two hundred and six persons board She commanded
by Captain Arrest Andreas Moberg About o'clock in
the morning Of Monday the 9th instant in lat 40 49, Ion.
$50 3d. the weather being very foggy she in
with the ship Shanunga Captain Patten from Liverpool for
Boston, and sunk in thirty minutes Immediately after the
collision Captain Paen his boats which, with the
aid of boat from the duna picked up thirty -four persons
six Of them being women, and five children One hun
dred and seretytco persisted, among them the captain
The Boston Journal of Tuesday evening says
The passengers the Iduna composed Of industrious
Swedes who coming to this country with considerable
sums of money in their possession for the purpose Of pur
chasing farms and settling at the West The collision
sudden and unexpected, and the vessel sunk after
ward that none OF the passengers had time to clothe them
selves Most OF hem however, secured their money which
was mostly in go about their persons which accounts for
the serious loss OF e Those who saved had been in
the water nearly half an hour when they picked up
during which time those who had gold about their persons had
sunk ltssupposed that Capt Mobeg of the barque
had 81, 400 in gold about his person.
Those who were saved entirely destitute of money,
and mostly clad in their night clothes when taken aboard the
Shanunga. Every possible attention was however, given
their wants on board this ship. The wam-hearted tars
board furnished them with all the spare clothing, reservng
nothing for themselves but what they stood in. Sheets bun
ing and every thing which could be manufactured into clothing
pressed into service for that purpose and every thing
which could be devised administer TO their comfort was
cheerfuly performed.
$50 far ascertain good watch was kept on
board the Shanunga but the time Of the collision the fog
dense that the bow of the ship could not be from
the quarter deck If both vessels had had lanterns burning
brilliantly at their bows this dreadful accident might not have
occurred"
The Traveller also furnishes offhis sad calamity,
from which CLEAN the following
Capain Patten came ashore this morning from the Sha-
nunga, which anchored in the Capt p wholly
ncapacated by the depth of his feelings from entering into
any details present relative this melancholy event He
says that statement could eIaggeate the horrors Of that
awful moment.
A the survivors that saved were picked up from the
surface of the One why so few were thus
was that almost all Of them had when the cry went round
that she sinking, seized their bcs of gold and silver and
tied them around their waists thus those who bad attempted
to save their gold lost both life and gOd being unable
tain themselves until the boats could reach them.
"We glad learn that efficient measures are being
taken by citizens to relieve the present distress of these
survivors Mr.. James K Mills has sent on board quantity
Of clothing for the females and subscription paper been
started which already, in the active hands of Messs Hudson
and Smith, Of the Merchants Exchange has obtained nearly
$780,
We hear Of one of peculiar Distress little girl,
twelve years DID, board the shanunga by this sudden
calamity has lost father mother brcher and sister, Many
families who from the same village in the old world,
and anticipated settling together chosen spot OF the
new, thus separated forever.
"It is estimated that something like $780, O00 or
100000 in specie, belonging to the immigrants down
in the vessel or on the bodies Of the lost One individual
lost SI4,o