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Triangle Waist Factory Fire Essay

1238 Words5 Pages

On March 25, 1911, on a Saturday afternoon, as the businesses were closing, the top floors of Asch Building where Triangle Waist Company was situated, a fire broke out. It was a moment of terror to many of the workers and passersby, as the inferno razed down the building. In the building, there were many people including women, boath young and old. The Triangle Waist Company Fire consumed a woeful 146 lives, becoming one of the worst catastrophes to ever be recorded in the wake of the Industrial Revolution. New York City had many factories growing and as such the risk associated with it was also on the rise. In this tragic fire, there were many casualties, as people lost lives and others suffered lifelong injuries from the burns and other happenings …show more content…

The inferno then spread across the building within few minutes, causing a terrifying madness among the workers and eyewitnesses. The fire spread faster owing to the nature of the business that dealt with textiles. The clothing burn very fiercely and as such, caused the speedy spread of the fire within the building. As the fire was razing down everything on its path, many of the workers were caught therein, losing their lives. Moreover, many of the exit doors would be locked in the fear of workers stealing company materials. The fire escape which was located in the 9th floor of the Asch building led to nowhere. To add to that, since the factory was located in the top floors of the Asch Building the firefighters ladders were several stories short and the water from the horses could not reach the top floor. This led to a lot of people to jump from the top ninth floor to the ground.Many lost their lives while others remained with scars that would last their entire lifetime. Survivors of this tragic incident recount the horror they faced, including the passersby and reporters who were witnesses to the terror. One of the survivor named Max Hoschfield recounts that most of the people in the 8th floor of the Asch building survived. Moreover, he also tells that many people were foreigners and unaware about the fact that they should …show more content…

However, they were blamed for the poor work conditions such as locking the doors while employees are in the building. The District Attorney brought charges against them and they were indicted on seven counts, including manslaughter. However, on December 27, Harris and Blanck were acquitted of all charges by a jury. However, later civil suits were filed against the owners of Asch Building. They settled the case, paying $75 for every death (The Triangle Factory Fire). Earlier in 1913 August, Max Blanck was charged for locking doors to the factory and a fine of $20 was served. However, Harris and Blanck continued their defiant attitude, operated until 1918 when it ceased

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