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J.B. Watt - a general history
Completed 1870: Official No. 63035.
Owners: (bought for about £30,000) Wilkinson Watt & Co, West Hartlepool.
Masters: 1869 S Watt; 1870 Dickson.
J.B. Watt was bound from Hamburg for West Hartlepool in ballast. On 14 October 1870, when about 15 miles NW by W of Heligoland, the German steamer Thuringia made contact with her wanting news of the French fleet. The helmsman of the Thuringa pulled his vessel hard a-port &, with her being a large ship, misjudged the area of manouver & hit J.B. Watt amidships striking her heavily & breaking in her sides causing her to fill with water. Her crew of 21 were taken off by the Thuringa which would have stayed by the leaking vessel & attempted to tow her to port but the French fleet hove in sight. Thuringa beat a hasty retreat with the French giving chase but she managed to outrun them & reached Grimsby safely. It was reported that after she was abandoned J.B. Watt was boarded by the crew of a French gunboat & taken as a derilect to Heligoland. At the subsequent inquiry Thuringia was found to be at fault for the collision.
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J.B. Watt
