Cao Yunjian and Record of disaster of Caonan earthquake

Cao Yunjian (1882—1970), also called Tieru, a native of Dingtao County, Shandong Province, lived in Heze. In the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, he served as county magistrate, secretary and clerical official. In June 1952, he was hired as a librarian of Central Research Institute of Culture and History. Record of disaster of Caonan earthquake details his personal experience during the great Heze earthquake of 1937, as well as his emergency and self-help measures after the earthquake, and what he saw and heard. Heze earthquake occurred after the outbreak of the war of resistance against Japan, the war had spread to the coastal areas of southern Hebei, Shandong and Jiangsu, and both the government and the people were unable to provide disaster relief. There is a serious lack of information about the earthquake and the disaster. Record of disaster of Caonan earthquake can make up for this, and can be called precious historical materials.