Louis-Antoine Beaunier

Louis-Antoine Beaunier (January 15th 1779 with Melun, August 20th 1835) was a Engineer French, creator of the first railway line Frenchwoman, founder of the 3Ecole Nationale Sup3erieure of the mines of Saint-Etienne and one of the pioneers of metallurgical industry.

Biography

Fils of a man of letters become senior official, proscribed at the time of the French revolution and obliged to hide with Paris, Louis-Antoine Beaunier makes party in July 1794 of the twenty pupils admitted in the first promotion of the school of the mines of Paris. Quickly noticed for qualities of its work in Minéralogie it climbs the levels of the administration quickly. In 1813 it is named with the head of the new school of the mines of Geislautern in the Saar. But to the fall of the First Empire in 1815 the Saar does not belong any more to France and Louis-Antoine Beaunier goes back to Paris where it suggests the creation of a new school with Saint-Etienne. The August 19th 1816 it is thus named director of the school of the minors of Saint-Etienne.

Beaunier also played a considerable part in the first rise of the metallurgy. Since 1817 he sought to improve the manufacture of French steels while making refine with the coal, by the German methods, the products of the steel-works of Rives (Isere), and by giving to these refined steels various qualities which claim the various uses for which they are intended. Having obtained the authorization (on February 1st, 1817) to direct a particular company, it suggests in Milleret, with which it was bound, to establish with Bérardière, close Saint-Etienne, a factory, which, as of the first year, delivers, under company name Beaunier, of Husks & Co with the hardware and the weapon of the higher products: bayonets, springs of platinum, files, foil. In 1819, following the exposure of the products of French industry, the government grants a gold medal to him and the cross of the Légion of honor. “If I had received it as engineer, writes it, it would be necessary for me to have shame of it: worthiest should have passed before me. ” With the following exposure, in 1823, it is made recall of the gold medal of 1819, for the crucible cast steels and different, of all qualities, obtained with Bérardière.

Parallèlement it goes several times in England to study the all new railroads. The February 26th 1823 it obtains the concession of the first line of continental Europe connecting Saint-Etienne to Andrézieux which will be brought into service on June 30th 1827. Unfortunately for him the concession with other companies of the two other lines envisaged (Saint-Etienne - Lyon and Andrézieux - Roanne) and the installation of the channels in north of France and in Belgium facilitating the routing of the Coal in Paris, will make that the line will be never very profitable. In September 1830, it is called with the Council of State, as Master of the requests under the presidency of the Minister of Interior Department Adolphe Thiers. In January 1833 it is high with the rank of officer of the Légion of honor. In July 1835 it is taken of an infection of drop, and dies about it one month later.

See too

External bonds

Obituary of Louis-Antoine Beaunier by Auguste-Henri De Bonnard

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