The transport with sails “The Loire” ( 1872-1893 )

The tenth Loire was a transport with sails.

This ship building was begun in Lorient in 1827 under the name of Annibal, December 2nd, 1853 was launched only, and was equipped for the first time on November 1st, 1854 under the name of Prince Jérôme.

In 1870, it was named Hoche, then was canceled from the list of the fleet on June 6th, 1872.

However its hull being in good condition, we decided to transform the ship into transport with sails. The machine and the boilers were off-loaded, the artillery was reduced to 4 artillery of 12. And on November 23rd, 1872, it was rearmed under the name of the Loire. It moved then 4 450 barrels for a length of 62,86 m, and a width of 16,84 m for a draft of 7,82 m.

Allocated in the service of New Caledonia, the Loire, ran between 1872 and 1885, numerous journeys to Nouméa, transporting the convicts, as well as the passengers and the material.

Canceled from the list of ships on July 13th, 1886, it was restored and sent to Saigon, in December of the same year, to serve as pontoon (floating prison).

In 1893. It was in an advanced state of outdatedness, and a decision of December 12th, 1893 prescribed to give it to Domains to be destroyed.

Transported convicts' 20th convoy

The twentieth convoy left Brest on July 10th, 1878. It had embarked the last 4 “Communard”convicts, namely Louis Badin, Alfred Lucine Joseph Prudot says "Voinot" ,André Jules Louis Miller and Augustin Poquet.

The Loire makes stopover on July 15th in Rochefort. It embarks certainly convicts' load from the “Ile de Ré” there, then sails on July 15th, 1878, to arrive at Nouméa on October 25th, 1878, after a journey of 102 days. It was transported convicts' last convoy of the “Commune” sent to serve their sentence in New Caledonia.