From:
Dai, Sa
E-Mail:
sdai@legato.com
Subject:
More info -- Prof. Huang Pei-Hua
Hi,
Bellow is a piece of email I got which tell some more
about the tragedy of Prof. Huang and what others are
doing besides us.
Dai Sa
-----Original Message-----
From: jake smith Save Address Block Sender
To: zyang@hpb27925.boi.hp.com, jun.mu@westgeo.com,
yzhao@leland.stanford.edu,zliu@zephyr.ess.ucla.edu, johntong_@yahoo.com,
xsong@ldeo.columbia.edu,rhan@ibnets.com, niu@eri.u-tokyo.ac.jp,
ttian@u.washington.edu,sdai89@hotmail.com, jrs_jian_lin@odp.tamu.edu,
dxw@ldeo.columbia.edu,hbwang@euridice.ess.ucla.edu, afei@jhu.edu,
weijiasu@onicorp.com
CC: jakesmith99@yahoo.com
Subject: Prof. Huang Pei-Hua's Death
Dear friends,
Please distibute the included message, which describes the
tragedy of Prof.
Huang Peihua. For those who do not know him, Prof. Huang
is a top earth scientist at USTC. Both Prof. Huang and his
wife, Prof. Emeritus Zhang Peiqiu worked at USTC for
tens of years and produced generations of excellent students.
Their research work contributed tremendously to many scientific
fields. The accident Prof. Huang was involved is a real tragedy,
which occurred on campus. To avoid similar accidents to occur
at USTC, please sign the letter electronically, and
forward a copy of the letter to all your friends.
With best wishes!
*****************************************************
The text below is forwardable
*****************************************************
Please sign the letter below electronically, by providing your name,
your
email address, and (optional) school information (school/year). Send
the
information by emailing this addresses:
__________________________________________________________________________
A letter to Chinese Academy of Scinces' President Lu Yong-Xiang by
members
of the overseas Chinese student community, with a Chinese translation.
An
account of the incident, in English, is also provided.
以下为中国同学致中国科学院路甬祥院长的一封信及其英文本(附事件英文介绍)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
President Lu Yong-Xiang
The Chinese Academy of Sciences
52 San Li He Road
Beijing 100864, P. R. China
Dear President Lu:
The news of Prof. Huang Pei-Hua's brutal death shocked the Chinese
student
community, bringing many overwhelmed USTC students to tears. Many find
it very hard to reconcile with the fact that their beloved Prof. Huang,
such a distinguished scientist are respected teacher, is no longer in
this
world, his vivacious being all crushed in that sudden fatal elevator
accident on University of Science and Technology of China's East
Campus.
Prof. Huang's numerous outstanding academic accomplishments are but a
small part of his legacy. He was widely admired as a most honest,
brave,
caring and inspiring man, staunchly believing in sacred scientific
truths
and devoting his entire life to advancing science and educating younger
scientists for the motherland and for humanity. His life and
scientific
contributions will live on in people's cherished memories for many
years
to come.
With highest respect, we mourn the passing of this remarkable
scientist,
scholar, and educator, and share the enormous sorrow and loss that have
befallen Prof. Zhang Pei-Qiu and the rest of the Huang family. To
them,
we extend our deepest sympathy and condolences.
We are concerned by reports that issues surrounding the tragic accident
remain unsettled in the aftermath, and deplore the maddening
insensibility
in that nobody accepts full responsibility for securing personal safety
on
campus. We present the following suggestions:
1. Investigate and report this unfortunate accident's cause and blame.
An
official accident report will be the only way to demonstrate that
lessons
are being learned and substantive measures are being taken to minimize
further potential on-campus bodily injuries due to facility and
equipment
mal-functioning and mal-management. Only a fair and factual official
report can fully clear the uncertainties surrounding the brutal death
of
such an internationally renowned researcher and scholar as Huang.
2. Provide adequate humanitarian aid, including liability and damage
compensations, to ameliorate Zhang Pei-Qiu's pitiably sorry plight.
She
has been ill for many years after poor health and inferior work
environment forced her to take early retirement, and had become semi-
bedbound a few years before. Now that she has lost a very major part
of
family income, she faces grave financial difficulties in addition to
physical and mental health challenges. Huang and Zhang devoted their
best
times to advancing the country's natural and technological sciences and
higher education. She should not be left struggling, unhelped and
uncompensated.
3. Handle the investigation decisively and sensibly. Assign high
priority
and stay engaged with high-level involvement till the matter gets fully
resolved. This incident has placed the Academy and the University's
reputation on the line. Further irresponsible delays and insensitive
handling of life-and-deaths on campus would by no means help the
country's
continuing endeavor to enhance our nation's scientific and
technological
might and to achieve lasting prosperity through science and technology.
A
long shadow would be cast on the on-going campaign to attract overseas
students and scholars to return to work and live in the motherland.
Sincerely,
**********************************************************************
尊敬的中国科学院路甬祥院长：
知名科学家、中国科学技术大学黄培华教授因突发设备事故不幸去世的噩耗
传到海外，令曾受到他亲自教导和关怀的同学万分震惊和悲痛。众多同学禁不住
失声痛哭，无法接受恩师猝然早逝这一残酷事实。
黄教授一生建树卓著，光明磊落，为人师表。他以科学至上的精神带领、培
养和昭示后人为祖国为人类不懈地追求知识、发现真理。这位杰出的科学家和教
育家将永远为人们所缅怀。我们谨向院领导表达海外学子对黄培华教授的深深哀
悼和崇敬之情，并请向黄夫人张培秋老师和家人转达我们最诚挚的同情和慰问。
据悉黄培华教授善后事宜因责任事故的鉴定和补偿问题，至今仍悬而未决。
同学们为这一令人遗憾的情况深感不安和疑虑。为此，我们特向院领导表达如下
意见：
⒈黄培华老师生前是国内外影响广泛的学者。对造成他非自然身亡这一恶性
事故，应立即责成有关单位进行调查、鉴定，就其性质和责任作出明确结论并形
成文字备案。只有这样做，才能迅速而切实有效地促进大学校园内人身安全措施
的全面加强，并最大限度地避免因设备管理不善而造成的人身伤亡。也只有这样
做，才能就黄培华教授伤亡原因向海内外各方面作出公证无误的交待。
⒉对黄培华老师遗属（尤其是在环境恶劣下工作，常年积劳成疾而不得不提
早退休、长期卧病的张培秋老师）今后生活的照顾安排，包括确定事故责任后依
法赔偿损失，应充分体现科学院对这一导致名教授伤亡的严重事故的足够重视，
充分体现对两位为国家科学技术研究和高等教育事业终身奉献并贡献卓著的老知
识分子人生价值的肯定，充分体现中国作为现代民主法制国家对公民权益的尊重
和保护，也充分体现政府和各级组织对于遭遇不幸者的人道主义关怀。同时，只
有妥善处理好黄培华教授的善后并且尽可能安排好张培秋老师的晚年生活，才能
真正体现党和政府关于知识分子政策和地位的落实。
⒊对这一不幸事件是否能及时并合情合理合法地处理，关系到科学院和科大
的声誉，并直接影响祖国科研、教育机构对海外学人的感召力。海外学子心系故
土，深为祖国"科教兴国"的号召而倍感鼓舞。"尊师重教"是我们中华民族的优秀
传统。我们希望看到在自己的国家里，知识分子得到应有的尊重和重视，看到为
祖国奉献了一辈子的老知识分子们能够在国家更多的关怀和照顾下颐养晚年。
⒋黄培华教授的不幸身亡，在科大与科学院内外、科学技术与教育界内外和
海内外引起了深切悲痛和广泛关注。对于黄教授的家人来说，无疑这种打击更为
巨大，而伤害则永远无法弥补。据了解，事件本身并不复杂，若本着实事求是的
原则依法办事，早就可以妥善解决。现在再拖延下去只会愈加被动，留下患。
我们真诚并迫切地希望，院领导高度重视，亲自过问这一事件，以应有的魄力、
决断、果敢和负责精神，把黄老师善后工作尽早做好，以告慰黄培华教授在天之
灵，安抚张培秋老师及其亲属，宽释海外学子悬盼之心。
谨此。
*************************************************************************
The note below reports the tragic death of Prof. Huang Pei-Hua, a
leading
earth scientist of the University of Science and Technology of China
(USTC), and the on-going plight the bereaved Huang family is suffering
in
the aftermath.
Please circulate this note to your friends and colleagues. A letter
addressed to Chinese Academy of Sciences' President Lu Yong-Xiang, in
both English and Chinese, has been drafted and is presented above.
*************************************************************************
Friends and Colleagues:
Professor Huang Pei-Hua, distinguished earth scientist and educator of
the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), died of
massive
brain damage caused by a tragic elevator accident that occurred on
USTC's
East Campus in February, 1999.
While inspecting meal orders for a visiting academician and his
entourage
during the Spring Festival holidays (lunar calendar Jan. 3), Prof.
Huang
walked into the unsecured, unmarked kitchen elevator shaft in Hefei's
East
Campus Main Cafeteria, and fell down to the elevator car parked on the
ground floor below. It was late morning.
He was lifted, walked to the campus hospital, where he was given some
minimal checkup and then released, and was, again, walked home by
kitched
staff. Alarmed by his condition, his wife, retired Prof. Zhang Pei-Qiu
took him to Anhui University of Medicine's (AUM) hospital where he lost
and never regained consciousness. He was operated on later that
evening,
but it was all too late.
All medical measures failed to bring this once very healthy man's vital
functions back to life. He was pronounced dead slightly after midnight
on
February 27, 1999, at the age of 67.
Prof. Huang's tragic death sent a shock wave across the globe. The
family's apartment was inundated with flowers and mourning visitors.
Condolence letters and telegrams reached the family from around the
world. The official obituary declared that "the tragic loss is being
felt by the entire earth science community."
USTC authorities, realizing the gravity of the accident, assisted
efforts
to save Huang's life after his arrival at the AUM hospital. They
beefed
up safety measures at the site right after the accident. Earth and
Planetary Sciences' department heads, staff and colleagues came to the
hospital bed.
Yet in the ensuring discussion with family representatives, USTC
officials, strangely, refuse to take full responsibility for this
evidently negligence-induced tragedy, even though operating unsecured
elevators is prohibited and non-fatal accidents and near-accidents had
repeatedly happened at the same place before. USTC refuses to conduct
an official investigation of this fatal accident (they first promised
an
internal investigation and then reneged), refuses to formally apologize
to the bereaved family (low-level apologies were offered verbally,
privately and off the record), and refuses to offer any liability and
damage compensations.
After lengthy and agonizing negotiations, USTC officials eventually
offered
50,000 yuan in bereavement pension (raised from 30,000 after much
excruciating bargaining), on the condition that the family would give
up
all rights and privileges to liability and damage compensations. After
all efforts to bring the discussion to an accord failed, the family
held
the funeral. Prof. Huang's remains were cremated on March 16th.
Nearly
200 people went to the funeral home and paid last respects.
The shock and grief did not end. The aftermath finds a stuggling Zhang
Pei-Qiu ensnared by multiple plights looking down the road. For years,
she has been semi-bedbound, after deteriorating physical and mental
health
problems and poor work environment in her former research lab on campus
forced her to take early retirement. This tragedy took away her
husband,
best friend, and, indeed, the most loving helpmate around the house.
It
could not have happened at a worse time.
She has lost, with her husband's sudden departure, three quarters of
the
couple's income, and 24-hour loving care and support by the man with
whom she had shared a life of over 40 years and had grown up together
since childhood. Uncompensated, she faces grave financial
difficulties.
Other than words, USTC officials offer little more to alleviate her
plight. Without additional funding, she would be living on less than
$100 per month, barely enough to cover house-care, which has now become
a
real necessity.
Unable to restore minimal normalcy in their life and to start the
healing
process, the Huang family's ordeal continues.