Biography of Zhan Tianyou
(1861-1919)
Zhan Tianyou was born on April 26, 1861 (March 11th year of Xianfeng reign in the Qing Dynasty) 17) was born in Nanhai County, Guangdong. His ancestral home is Wuyuan, Anhui (now part of Jiangxi Province). Great-grandfather Zhan Wanbang was a scholar during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty. He moved to Guangzhou because of his tea business. By the time of his father Zhan Xinghong, the tea shop went bankrupt and his family fell into poverty. He moved to Nanhai and made a living by farming. Shortly after Zhan Tianyou was born, the Taiping Rebellion failed and the Westernization Movement began. Many people with lofty ideals ran around looking for ways to save the country. Modern Chinese reformist scholar Rong Hong (1828~1912) embraced the purpose of "instilling Western academic knowledge into China so that China would become more civilized, prosperous and powerful". In 1858, he selected 120 students to study abroad and develop mining and construction projects. Provisions such as railways were submitted, and in 1870 it was approved through Zeng Guofan's memorial. The following year, the Qing government set up the Overseas Study Bureau in Shanghai and appointed Chen Lanbin and Rong Hong as the chairman and deputy members of the "Young Children's Study Abroad Bureau". When Zhan Tianyou was ten years old, he went to Hong Kong to take the exam and was admitted. On July 8, 1872, as the first batch of government-sponsored students studying abroad, Zhan Tianyou and other 30 people left Shanghai for the United States. They studied at West Haven Elementary School (1872), New Haven Middle School (1876), and in 1878 Admitted to Yale University School of Engineering to study civil and railway engineering. In 1881, he wrote his graduation thesis "Research on Wharf Cranes" and returned to China after receiving his bachelor's degree. This year, due to the opposition and sabotage from die-hard forces within the Qing government, the Qing government ordered Rong Hong to withdraw all 120 students who had been selected to study in the United States in four batches. Only two of them received bachelor's degrees in the United States, one is Ouyang Geng and the other is Zhan Tianyou. Zhan Tianyou was one of the few outstanding people at that time who learned something useful. He was praised by his international colleagues for his outstanding contributions to railway engineering. He was elected a member of the British Institution of Civil Engineers (1894) and the American Institution of Engineers (1909). In 1909, the Qing government awarded him the first scholarship in engineering. In 1913, he was elected as the first president of the Chinese Society of Engineers. In 1916, Zhan Tianyou received an honorary master's degree from his alma mater and an honorary doctorate in law from the University of Hong Kong. From Zhan Tianyou's involvement in China's railway industry to his death in 1919, during this period, almost every aspect of China's railway construction was not related to him. During Zhan Tianyou's thirty-year railway career, he participated in the construction and planning of railway projects including: Tianjin-Gu Line (1988), Guannai Railway (now the Guannai Section of Beijing-Harbin Line) (1890), Luanhe Bridge (1892), Tianjin-Guannai Railway Lu Road (1895), Guanwai Railway, which is now the Shanhaiguan to Jinzhou section (1898, 1901, 1903), Pingli Road (1900), Xinyi Road (autumn of 1902), Chaoshan Road (1903), Huning Road ( 1903), Luotong Road (1903), Jingzhang Road (1905-1909), Zhangsui Road (1909), Yiwan Road (1909), Yuehan Road (1910, 1911), Wuchang Road ( 1918) and so on. Zhan Tianyou is known as the "Father of China's Railways." Today, Zhan Tianyou's statue stands tall on the campus of Southwest Jiaotong University. The new generation of railway engineers are proud to be the heirs of Zhan Tianyou's career.
In November 1881, 20-year-old Zhan Tianyou returned from his studies. He was first sent to the Naval School of Fuzhou Shipping Bureau to learn driving. "Wu" warship was put into service. In June 1884, the Sino-French war broke out. On August 23, Zhan Tianyou accompanied the ship to participate in the Battle of Majiang. Soon, Zhan Tianyou was hired by Zhang Zhidong, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, to teach foreign language at the Guangdong Boxue Museum (later changed to the Land and Water Division School), and also did the work of drawing nautical charts, and completed the "Guangdong Coastal Dangerous Map" (which has been lost).
In 1888, on the recommendation of his classmate Kuang Sunmou, 27-year-old Zhan Tianyou served as an engineer for the China Railway Company. Under the leadership of British engineer C.W. Kinder (1852-1936), he participated in the construction of the Tianjin-Gu Railway. This was the beginning of Zhan Tianyou’s involvement in the railway industry. In 1890, the Qing government decided to build the Guandong Railway, and Zhan Tianyou was appointed as the engineer of the Guannei section.
In 1892, the project moved to the Luanhe River, and many countries were competing for the bridge project. Chief Engineer Jinda took the lead from the British man Cox, and then invited Japan and Germany to undertake the construction, but they all failed successively. As the construction period was approaching, Zhan Tianyou resolutely used the steam-pressurized caisson method to build the Luanhe River Bridge, which was finally successful. Zhan Tianyou tried his best for the first time, which made foreigners look at him with admiration. In 1894, the British Institution of Civil Engineers admitted Zhan Tianyou as a member.
In 1900, the Eight-Power Allied Forces invaded and the Guandong Project was forced to be abandoned. Zhan Tianyou was transferred to Beijing-Tianjin Road and Pingli Road as engineers.
In the autumn of 1902, Yuan Shikai petitioned to build a Xinyi Railway for the royal family to go to Xiling to worship. The Qing court was delighted, so it allocated 60,000 taels of official silver and ordered Zhan Tianyou to take charge of the project. It was completed before the Qingming Festival in the second year. This was the beginning of Chinese self-financing of railways. Zhan Tianyou boldly broke the convention that the roadbed needs to be dried for one year before track laying, and completed the Xinyi Line two months ahead of schedule as expected.
Because Zhan Tianyou "had calloused hands and feet, he was able to weather the wind and rain" and "exceptionally contributed to his work", in 1905, Zhan Tianyou was appointed as the chief engineer and director of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway, and was promoted to the post a year later General Office. Zhangjiakou is the gateway from Beijing to Inner Mongolia. It is the only way for merchants traveling from north to south to pass through, and it is a must-have for military strategists. Therefore, the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway has important strategic significance. At that time, Britain and Russia were facing off in northern China. They were competing for the right to build the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway. The stalemate ended with the other side not getting involved. Only then did the Qing government decide to "build it on its own without using foreign company managers." After receiving the order, Zhan Tianyou immediately led Zhang Honghao, Xu Shiyuan and others to survey the route. He believed that this road was "separated by high mountains and had the most stonework" and had bridges of "more than 7,000 feet". "The road is dangerous and the work is difficult, which is unprecedented in other places." However, If construction is started quickly, it can be completed in six years. Zhan Tianyou initially estimated that the project would require 5,729,360 taels of silver, the purchase of equipment would require 1,130,500 taels of silver, and the employee salaries would require 432,000 taels of silver. The total of the three items would be 7,291,860 taels of silver. However, Zhan Tianyou pointed out that after the road is completed, it will have huge economic value. The annual passenger and cargo revenue will be approximately 2,059,200 taels, and the cost will be recovered in three and a half years after it is opened to traffic. Moreover, the railway passes through the coal mines of Jiming Mountain in Xuanhua and Xinbao Mountain in Huailai, which can be used for railways and sold to other places. "The sooner this road is completed, the public will reap the benefits, and the business travelers will enjoy the convenience." "The sooner outsiders can stop coveting it." On September 4, 1905, the construction of the first railway designed by the Chinese was announced. On July 4, 1909, the railway tracks were laid to Zhangjiakou, and the entire line was completed. The Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway was completed and opened to traffic two years ahead of schedule, with a savings of 356,774 taels (equivalent to 4.89 taels of the budget). The Chinese people were all happy and excited, and the public sentiment was greatly boosted. However, the pressure and difficulties faced by presiding over the Beijing-Zhangjiakou road construction project are unique.
As soon as the news came out that the Chinese would raise their own railways, cynicism and ridicule poured in from all quarters. Some said Zhan Tianyou was "overestimating his own capabilities", some said he was "daring", and even foreigners He even ridiculed him by saying, "Chinese engineers who dug Guangou have not yet been born." On October 24, 1906, Zhan Tianyou wrote in a letter to Mrs. Northrop: "If the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Road Project fails, it will not only be my misfortune, but also the misfortune of the Chinese engineers, and it will also bring great losses to China. Before and after I accepted this task, many foreigners openly claimed that Chinese engineers could not undertake the arduous projects of stonework and caves on the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Line, but I persisted in my project." The fervent spirit of patriotism and the strong national sense of Chinese engineers are beyond words!
Before starting construction, Zhan Tianyou surveyed three lines, one of which is now Fengsha Line, and the second one was not advisable to take a long detour. Zhan Tianyou decided to choose the third route, which was from Fengtai north to Xizhimen and Shahe, passing through Nankou, Juyongguan, Badaling, Kangzhuang, Huailai, Xiahuayuan, Jimingyi, Xuanhua to Zhangjiakou, with a total length of 360 miles. The whole line of Zhan Tianyou is divided into three sections: the first section from Fengtai to Nankou, the second section from Nankou to Kangzhuang, and the remaining section is the third section.
On December 12, 1905, Zhan Tianyou drove the first road spike in Fengtai. On the first day of track laying, a coupler chain of a construction train broke, causing a derailment accident. Some people with ill intentions suddenly made slanderous remarks. But Zhan Tianyou thought calmly that the road was steep and if the coupler was not secure enough, an accident would be inevitable.
So he invented an "automatic hook" to solve this problem. "Automatic Hook", also known as Zhan Tianyou Hook, has become popular all over the world. On September 30, 1906, the first section of the project was successful. The second section was a difficulty for the entire line. The section from Nankou to Kangzhuang is full of mountains and cliffs. It was unique in China at that time and rare in the world. First, four tunnels, namely Juyongguan, Wuguitou, Shifosi and Badaling, were opened. Among them, the Badaling tunnel was the longest, measuring 1,091.18 meters. Initially, the tunnel was constructed from both ends. However, the stone was hard and the progress was slow. Zhan Tianyou used the "shaft construction method" to dig two shafts on the hillside of the tunnel line and constructed it in six places at the same time. Finally, in 1908, the "tunnel" was completed and the north-south straight lines and horizontal levels were measured. "It's not even a second short of millet". In order to ensure that the train can travel safely among the sloping mountain peaks, Zhan Tianyou repeatedly surveyed and carefully designed a unique "Z"-shaped line starting from Qinglong Bridge and drawing along the mountainside. When the train reaches the "Z"-shaped intersection, the rear of the train is transferred to the front of the train, and a locomotive is added to pull forward and push back to make the train move forward steadily. This switchback line design is a major pioneering work of Zhan Tianyou in the history of railways. Many years later, people built a bronze statue of Zhan Tianyou at Qinglongqiao Station to commemorate his worldwide achievements! In September 1908, the extremely arduous second section of the project was completed.
The first thing encountered in the third section of the project is the construction of Huailai Bridge. This is the longest bridge on Jingzhang Road, measuring 213.34 meters. Thanks to Zhan Tianyou's good command, the bridge was completed in time. On April 2, 1909, the train reached Lower Garden. The section from Xiahuayuan to Jimingyi is surrounded by Yanghe River on the left and Stone Mountain on the right. A six-foot-deep channel must be dug on the mountain, and a seven-mile-long riverbed must be raised at the foot of the mountain. Zhan Tianyou adapted to the local conditions and filled the ditch with stones from the mountain, and then added cement to solidify it, making it foolproof. From the perspective of today's systems engineering, this is indeed a practical application of simple system concepts and methods.
On October 2, 1909 (some say August 19), a grand opening ceremony was held at Nankou to celebrate the delivery of China's first self-built railway. Foreign engineers Jinda and Cocos in China were invited to attend the ceremony and visit the new construction project. They expressed deep admiration for the Chinese people's ability to complete such an arduous project ahead of schedule, and believed that the three projects of Qinglong Bridge, Yao'erliang, and Jiulizhai were "stunts." Zhan Tianyou's construction of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway not only won honors for the Chinese engineering community, but also boosted the nation's self-confidence to a great extent. This was indeed a great event at a time when the country was weak and the people had low self-esteem for more than half a century. Zhan Tianyou became famous at home and abroad for this, but he was always modest and did not seek fame. He is good at business, but poor at speaking. In his speech at the opening ceremony, he repeatedly asked the guests to give them "advice". Afterwards, he told people that it was really harder for me to speak in public than to open the Badaling Tunnel! For Zhan Tianyou's outstanding contribution, the Postal and Communications Department of the Qing government specially commended him: "Exquisite appearance and art, hard work and hard work", "Xinli, hardworking, honest and self-sustained", and awarded him the title of Jinshi in Engineering.
After the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway was opened to traffic, Zhan Tianyou planned to extend the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway to Suiyuan to connect the north and the south. However, due to the empty treasury, he failed to do so. Before and after the Revolution of 1911, Zhan Tianyou traveled to Guangdong, Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan and other places, working hard for the development of China's railway industry. In February 1919, as the chairman of the Railway Technical Committee of the Ministry of Transport and the supervisor of the Han-Guangdong-Sichuan Railway, he went to Vladivostok to serve as the Chinese representative of the Technical Department of the Far Eastern Railway Conference of the United States, Britain, France, Japan and other "Allied Powers", 4 He left office due to illness on April 5. At 3:30 pm on April 24, Zhan Tianyou, the great modern railway engineer in China, passed away in Hankou at the age of 58.
The "China Movement" initiated and chaired by Zhan Tianyou was passed away in his lifetime. The Society of Engineers also plays a certain role in the development of modern science in China. The society aims to exchange technical experience, publishes the Journal of the Chinese Society of Engineers, and publishes the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway Engineering Minutes compiled by Zhan Tianyou. , "Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway Standard Map" and "Hua-Ying Engineering Vocabulary" and other books. Zhan Tianyou often forgets his lofty reputation and extraordinary achievements and encourages people in the engineering field: "When you travel far, you feel inferior; when you climb high, you feel inferior." And, it cannot be permanent. Engineering careers must be complemented by academic experience. It’s just empty talk and nothing can be accomplished.”
He earnestly warned scholars: "Don't follow profound theories, don't look down upon others with contempt," "To dispel arrogance and pride, you must study further," and "If you are arrogant and arrogant, there will be no one who will not fail." The most unforgettable thing is Mr. Zhan Tianyou’s care, training and teaching for young technicians. He once personally guided on-site internships for the first and second batch of graduates of the "Shanhaiguan Beiyang Railway Official School" (the predecessor of Southwest Jiaotong University) founded in 1896. When building the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway, Zhan Tianyou paid great attention to cultivating road construction talents in practice. He sent studious young people as engineering trainees to learn while doing it. After six years of graduation, they were awarded the titles of engineer and deputy engineer. He formulated a set of methods for training, examination and promotion of engineering personnel that are in line with China's reality, and trained many talents for China's railway industry. He advocated "character first, then knowledge", and encouraged young engineers to "research academically and invent with knowledge" and "each learn what he has learned and make the best use of his knowledge, so that the country can be strong and strong without foreign aggression, so as to stand on its own on the earth!"
Zhan Tianyou will always be respected and loved by people for his words and deeds.
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