The Jura was a wooden, flush-deck paddle steamer constructed in 1854 by Maschinen Fabrik Escher-Wyss in Zürich. Designed for service on Lake Neuchâtel, the vessel measured approximately 46.30 meters in length overall, with a waterline length of 41.30 meters, a beam of 10.25 meters, and a shallow draught of about 90 centimeters. Powerered by a 45-horsepower steam engine, the Jura could attain a top speed of roughly 18.5 km/h. It was equipped to carry up to 400 passengers, making it a significant vessel for regional passenger transportation during its operational years. Initially serving on Lake Neuchâtel, the Jura was placed in service by the Société des Bateaux à vapeur du lac du Neuchâtel on September 7, 1854. After seven years of service, in 1861, the vessel was sold to the Lindau Steamship Navigation Inspectorate to replace the sunken Ludwig. The ship was dismantled and transported overland by horse-drawn carts to Lake Constance, indicating its importance and adaptability across different lakes. On February 12, 1864, the Jura met its tragic end when it collided with the Bavarian paddle steamer Stadt Zürich off Münsterlingen. Despite efforts to avoid collision, the Jura’s forecastle was ripped off by the Stadt Zürich’s bow, leading to the sinking of the paddle steamer within minutes. The accident resulted in the death of the crewman manning the fog lookout and a ship's boy, though the remaining crew and passengers were rescued. The Stadt Zürich, notorious for its own troubled collision history, was disliked in Bavaria for its role in sinking both the Ludwig and the Jura. The wreck of the Jura was rediscovered in 1976 by scuba divers at a depth of 39 meters near Bottighofen. It lies almost upright on the lakebed, with its bow covered in mud from dredging activities. The wreck is considered one of Europe’s most well-known freshwater shipwrecks, and salvage efforts have recovered items such as the ship’s bell, bottles, and a manometer. The Jura holds significant historical value as the oldest surviving steamship in the world. Preservation and potential restoration are ongoing projects, with plans by the Lake Constance Historical Navigation Stiftung to recover and restore the vessel as an industrial monument, highlighting its importance from the late Biedermeier period.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.