From Rochefort, France was the tiding received that the decommissioned French cruisers Protet (1) and Infernet during an auction were sold for respectively 292.348 and 196.144 francs to a yard at Stettin. Both ships were cruisers 3rd class fitted out with engines which delivered 9,000 hp. Both ships were of the latest construction but appeared immediately after the launching to be completely useless. The Protet which building costs were 15.000.000 served just three months while she couldn’t be used on open sea and was since then used as a floating hospital. This item was confirmed by another Dutch newspaper Het Nieuws van de Dag voor Nederlandsch-Indië dated 30 November 1910.
Note
1. 2nd class cruiser. Of the Catinat-class with as sister ship the Catinat. Laid down at the Soc. de la Gironde in March 1896, launched in July 1898 and stricken in 1910. With a displacement of 4,001 tons were her dimensions 98,09 (between perpendiculars) x 13,59 x 6,43 metres.The Proted needed ballast to improve her stability. The engines and 16 Belleville boilers supplied 9,500 hip allowing as speed of 19,5 knots. Her coal bunker capacity was maximum 560 tons. The crew numbered 400 men. The armament consisted of 4-6.4” guns, 10-3.9” guns, 10-3pdrs, 4-1pdrs, 2-14” torpedo tubes and 50 mines.
