More French Navy Giants.

New York Times 100 years ago today, January 19, 1913:
Minister Delcasse's Programme Includes Four Dreadnoughts.
Special Cable to The New York Times.
    PARIS, Jan. 18.— M. Delcassé, Minister of Marine, is about to ask Parliament to hasten the vote of the naval programme. Arrangements are already being made to lay down four superdreadnoughts as part of the year's programme. When these vessels are completed France will have eleven new and first-class battleships of from 23,000 to 26,000 tons burden.
    The seven vessels, completed or building, have received the names of Jean Bart, Coubet, France, Paris, Bretagne, Provence, and Lorraine. M. Delcassé has decided that in naming this year's ships he will continue the practice of naming vessels after the French provinces. The four new superdreadnoughts will, therefore, be named Normandie, Gascogne, Languedoc, and Flandre.
    The Minister has also decided to give the two new destroyers the names of Enseigne Roux and Mecanicien Lestin, thus commemorating two of the most gallant acts in the annals of the French Navy. Senior Midshipman Roux covered himself with glory at the time of the Iéna disaster. When out of danger himself he saw the battleship ablaze in the dry dock with few bluejackets there. He rushed to open the gates in order to flood the dock, but before he could do so was blown to pieces by the explosion of the Iéna's ammunition.
    Chief Mechanic Lestin met death in the recent Liberté catastrophe. When the ship took fire Lieut. Garnier ordered Lestin below to flood the powder magazines. "Yes, Sir," said Lestin, "I'll go, but I'll never come back."
    He groped his way amid the stifling fumes in search of the release valves, but before he could reach them was blown to atoms by the explosion of the magazines.