原天津北洋西学学堂始建于1895年10月2日,1896年更名为“北洋大学堂”,被人们称为“东方康奈尔”,亦称“近代大学第一校”。谁能料到,享有“近代大学第一校”盛誉的这座具有历史意义的教学大楼,竟在一夜之间被烈火焚为废墟,成为中国高等教育界的一大憾事。这起火灾的经过是这样 The original Tianjin Beiyang Western School was founded on October 2, 1895, and was renamed as Beiyang University in 1896. It was called as “Oriental Cornell”, also known as “the First School of Modern University.” Who could have expected that this historic teaching building, enjoying the prestige of “the first university of modern university”, was suddenly set on fire by ruins overnight and became a pity for the Chinese higher education community. This is the way the fire has passed