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Triangle Waist Factory Fire Essay

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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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Dehron McMillian History 1302 Dr. Adkins-Weathersby 28 September 2014 Triangle Shirtwaist Company March 25, 1911 identified as the day of the dead, is the deadliest disaster in the industry during the Gilded Age. Over forty-six bodies lie on the street, meanwhile hundred bodies lie inside of the building. The factory took up the top three floors of a ten-story building in the Greenwich Village neighborhood in New York. The workers were mostly Jewish and Italian immigrant’s women along with children, sewing blouses, to earn an income as little as three dollars a week.

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Remembering the Triangle Shirtwaist fire Disaster hit March 25, 1911 at 4:40 pm at the Triangle Shirt Waste Factory when it caught on fire by a cigarette bud or burning match. The employees were mainly young women and girls of Italian and Jewish decent and 146 died that day. The workers wanted out of the building but one of the doors was locked in the stairwell. Speculation was that Isaac Harris locked the door. Some of the women and girls jumped off the building and out the windows to trying to survive which was interfering with the firemen trying to put out the fire.

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Eventually, the employees realized they would not win the battle, and returned to work. The founders of this company were selfish in their actions, only stopping to help it’s employees when they started to lack personal gain. After going back to work, a cigarette, still lit, was dropped onto the workroom floor of the 8th floor. The loose fabric and wicker baskets quickly wicked this up, creating a deadly fire. The stairwell was locked, and no one had the key to open

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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.

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The triangle shirtwaist company was owned by Max Blanck and Isaac Harris and was located on the Greene Street in Manhattan. Most of the workers were teenaged girls that worked long hours daily. Most were immigrants and knew little English. In March 25, 1911 a fire was initiated at the top of the Asch Building where the company was located. How the fire started is still a mystery.

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Despite the death and destruction it caused, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire ultimately benefited America by opening the eyes of mistreated factory workers and inspiring them to fight for better working conditions. Though it was unbeknownst at the time, the fire would inspire mistreated workers to rise out of the ashes and work tirelessly not for a factory, but for their own wellbeing. The history, the fire, and the trial that are all connected to the Triangle Shirtwaist Company are the events that led to the exploration for better working conditions. While we may not wish to remember all of the suffering the conflagration caused, we see its imprint it left on society whenever we see someone at work. This just imprint is one of safety.

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There were 600 workers present. They attempted to use the fire hose but it was unsuccessful because the hose was rotted and the valve was shut. Only 48 workers escaped through the elevator. Others went through the stairway where they burned to their deaths when there was a locked door. Jumpers broke the nets that were provided when three jumpers went at the exact same

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To determine this, many sources and ideas must be recognized and appointed. One of the ideas that has come to mind was that a cigarette butt from the workers who had secretly been smoking had made it's way into the cloth bin and, because of the highly flammable material the blouses were made of, it set the bin and the building ablaze. Another idea that has come to mind is that maybe the owners of the establishment, Max and Isaac, burned the building down on purpose, making this an even more interesting topic. Some of the evidence that has risen up from the possible dark truth below is that the doors leading out of the building on the ninth floor, where the doors were supposedly locked and/ or were designed to be pushed outwards instead of inwards. Max and Isaac claim that this was because of a theft concern, and that this would keep minimal thefts happening (Martin par 8).

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