Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
The Fire And Its Causes
The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire was one of New Yorks deadliest work place fires. It happened on March 25th, 1911 and would end up destroying the upper three floors of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. Many people would die from being burned alive or jumping out of the building trying to escape the fire thinking they could maybe survive the fall. This fire would take many lives approximately one hundred and forty six people. Out of the one hundred and forty six people, one hundred and twenty six people were young women who worked at the factory. Most of the young women who worked their were immigrants from other countries who were just looking to work in America. In this time period
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The two owners of the company Harris and Blanck did not care for a safe working environment all they wanted was for there workers to work and make money for them. The owners actually knew about the fire before it would destroy the upper floors, they didn't tell any of there workers so they could save their selves. What's ironic about this situation is that the building that was destroyed by a fire was supposed to be fireproof. Even though this seems like a lot of negatives there was a positive to this fire. Many leaders you have heard of would lead a revolution, this revolution being some of the people that made it out of the fire would end up revolting against there companies. Three women known as Anne Morgan,Pauline Newman,Clara Lemlich would become revolutionary leaders. …show more content…
Morgan was born on July 25, 1873. Anne Morgan grew up in New York on her familys New york estate. When she became an adult Morgan used her wealth to bring attention to the womens suffrage movement and to help lower class immigrant workers. Her efforts helped womens rights and helped change labor rights laws. Anne Morgan dedicated herself to helping New York City's women. By 1910 New York had become a hotbed of labor reform problems. Factory labors which most of them were females, worked for long hours and got low pay. Their cause from ILGWU helped mobilize strikes across the
There was no fire safety rules implied and forced and also there was doors that opened inwards so when they were all crammed in a small space trying to escape they couldn't open the door because there was to many people in the way of the door. There was one stairway they had but it lead down into a fenced in yard and the door to the yard was wooden so it would feed the fire even more. Those are some reasons why he could be responsible for the factory fire like the inadequate safety laws, but in contrast, the fire department could be also. The fire department didn't get there fast enough and they're ladders were too short.
At this juncture, the only passage and escape route they could have used was engulfed with smoke and all of the elevators has ceased to function and this put them in a trapped position. Even though the rescue fire department team gotten there as quickly as they could, it was difficult to access them as their ladders could not reach this floor. Their water hoses were also not sufficient enough to control the flames at the ninth floor. Majority of the workers opted to shield themselves from the flames by hiding in the bathrooms and dressing rooms, but the smoke fumes overcame them and they died while in their hiding places. Others suffocated from the deadly fumes while trying to open the door that was locked by the managers.
The fire broke out at 4:30 p.m on Saturday March 25 1911. The fire began on the 8th floor of the Factory building. Till this day the cause of the fire is still unknown but some say that the fire could have been started by a dropped cigarette ash in the scrap bucket of highly flammable cotton or just it could have been a machine malfunction. Scrambling to get out most people on the 8th floor of the building made it out safely but the others were scrambling to get out of the building before they die. Some people tried to escape through the elevator, most made it
First, the acting fire department commissioner could have enforced the owners and workers to participate in fire drills. These drills could have deterred the number of employees that traveled to the roof and prevented the number of employees that ultimately jumped to their death. While New York at the time was working on passing stricter factory fire protection laws, there should have been more fire inspections at this particular facility due to the four previous fires that had occurred. When we look closely at this fire, blueprints show that the stairwells were only a mere 33 inches wide. With the amount of workers entering and exiting this building 33 inches is not enough when large quantities of people must exit quickly while fire personnel is coming to distinguish any fires.
The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire begun on March 25,1911. The fire started because someone had dropped a cigarette and started the fire. The fire started on the 8th floor of the factory, it continued up to the 9th floor. The fire killed around 145 workers. Some people jumped and killed themselves rather than getting burned alive, one jumper survived the jump.
If a worker whined about their low wage or the long hours spent working they would be fired, and the owners would hire a new worker. Most of the time the workers didn’t get any time off for breaks or even going to the bathrooms. It wasn’t just young women who had to work in the harsh factory conditions. Children also worked in the factory because their families need
On March 25, 1911, a fire started at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory that claimed the lives of one hundred and forty-six workers. As a result of the fire, trials and debates occurred that contended the factory owners right to control their business against their duty to implement safe working conditions for their employees. Despite the trial resulting in no charges for the business owners the triangle fire is responsible for stricter safety codes and brought attention on the labor movement. In order to fully understand the changes that resulted because of the shirtwaist fire, you must first know what life was life prior to the fire.
The Triangle Fire of 1911 initiated transformations in America during the Progressive Era. The one hundred and forty six people who died who were mostly women, did not die in vain, as their deaths led to the reform of laws that would lead to protection from unsafe working environments. Business owners, workers, and union organizers each had their own motivations, and after the fire, their concerns were made public and consequently many of their situations changed. Business owners were stimulated by economic growth and profit, which did not change despite the Triangle fire. Most businesses, and that includes the Triangle Waist Company, carried on with a “business as usual” attitude.
Regardless of how the fire started, due to the piles of fabric all over the factory, the fire spread quickly. According to User (n.d.), the New York Law stated that buildings under 150 feet were not required to have stone or concrete floors and metal trim/window frames; since the Asch building was 135 feet, it did not have metal trim/window frames and a stone or concrete floors. Instead, the Asch building was constructed out of wood surfaces. If it would have had non-wood surfaces, the fire might not have been able to spread as quickly or done as much damage. All of the workers panicked as they tried to find a way out.
The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire It is unbelievable as a worker in today’s society to read about laborers working 14-20 hours, not allowed to speak the whole time, but it was a reality for workers at the turn of the 20th century. As our nation entered into the 20th century, there was a major push by the Progressives for changes in the workplace that had been going on for nearly a decade, but with no success. While the Progressive movement had sparked changes in public health, the workplace had not changed for the better. Workers in most jobs had to work long hours, at low pay, with no safety regulations. A perfect example was at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, where workers were required to work 14-20 hours a day, locked into their workspace
The Triangle Shirtwaist building was reported to be fire proof. So what fueled the fire? Isaac Harris and Max Blanck owned
In addition, the fire also had a lasting impact on the insurance industry. Companies began to recognize the need for employers’ liability insurance to cover the costs of workplace accidents (McEvoy, 1995). As a result, new policies were introduced to protect both employers and employees in the event of an injury. The lasting impact of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire is clear; it led to the establishment of laws that protect workers and the introduction of insurance policies that provide compensation for workplace
Another result of the fire was the creation of the American Society of Safety Engineers. Which was Designed for all buildings to fall under the code to make them safer? The American Society of Safety Engineers did just that, and there has not been any other building tragedy fire not caused by arson as severe as the shirtwaist fire. I will now like to return to the original question.
The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire was a devastating fire that killed 146 girls in New York City (Leap for Life, Leap for Death). At this time, citizens of New York were furious and demanded that the government do something to prevent future tragedies. The government responded and the reforms that the government made, it changed the future of New York industry. The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, one of history’s deadliest fires, came as a result of outrageously unsafe working conditions, led to a high death toll and injury total, but, ultimately resulted in reforms that helped safeguard future factory workers.
The detrimental Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire is considered to be one of the most tragic disasters in history. On March 25th, 1911, a fire broke out and killed 146 garment workers who were mostly women. These women worked countless hours with low wages and inhumane working conditions in a factory. Even though this event was tragic, the triangle shirtwaist fire helped to shape the new world for the better. The multitude of workers trapped within the inferno to their demise was the final straw for the mistreatment of America’s workers.