Triangle Factory Fire

Paula Hughes & Beth Stafford

This is just of the many pictures that appeared in the New York Times, of the inspector who had on March 1,1911 had gave the Asch Building an inspection and it passed with flying colors, yet it would only be 24 days later that the building would go up in flames and trap 146 young women and men, in what would become a blazing inferno.

AT WHAT PRICE

SHOCK AND DISBEIF, AND HELPLESSNESS

As PEOPLE LEARNED OF THE TRAGIC THAT WAS UNFOLDING IN DOWNTOWN NEWYORK , MANY CAME TO SEE THE WHAT WAS HAPPNENING BUT LITTLE DID THEY KNOW THAT THEY WERE ABOUT TO WITNESSNES , THE TRAGIC OF THE CENTURY , WHERE YOUNG WOMEN WERE LEAPING FROM THE BUILDING ON TO THE STREETS TO EXSCAPE THE FLAMES THAT WERE ABOUT TO CONSUME THEM,.

The Triangle Factory Fire

Women factory workers had for decades attempted to organize against unsafe and working conditions sometimes with aid of the male dominated labor unions sometime without and the press had sporadically covered these attempts. Occasionally, a crusading journalist took up the cause of working women, but for the most part these women work was an unrewarding, arduous and often dangerous endeavor, The majority of the women in these factory were immigrants who were ruthlessly exploited by capitalistic employers these women were not only overworked and underpaid, by they also ran the daily risk of being injured on the job from the poorly maintained equipment, and the sexual harassment or physically abused by male supervisors and those who dared to speak up were threatened or dismissed.

The broken bodies of just some of the young women, who would either leap, or fall to their deaths, trying to escape the burning building.

This sidewalk just one of the horrors that would unfold outside of the Asch Building where many of young women and some men would lose the lives, the sidewalk was broken from the young women who would either leap or fall to their deaths trying to escape the burning building, due to the pressure the sidewalk gave way and the bodies of about 50 women would fall through to the basement below.

HARRIS AND BLANCK Not guilty

Harris and Blanck were in the building but escaped by going to the rooftops a route that the women did not know about, because they were taught to use the freight elevators, and one of these elevator was not in service when the fire broke out, and the doors were chained to prevent the women from stealing, This picture was taken outside the courthouse in December were they were being charged with fist and second degree manslaughter their trial was concluded in December. it could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt that either of them had been aware that one of the factory’s two doors had been locked or that this had caused the deaths.

Charged with first and second degree manslaughter were acquitted, by the jury the out rage among the citizens of New York would turn into a mob scene. pay 75.00 per victim

THE MYTHS OF SOCIETYThis was a time when society cherished the belief

that women were honored, protected, and cosseted by the men of their families. The Triangle fire threw this myth into relief. It showed women, instead, as victims of both their greedy employer and careless officials who did not ensure their protection. Yet this tragedy would bring to the forefront the miserable working conditions in the garment industry and the hardships faced by the women who worked fifty nine hours a week in factories such as the Triangle with the help of the press these conditions could no longer be ignored or dismissed by the public and government officials

In the Name of :

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN , A MONUMENT THAT WAS ERECTED FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE TRAGIC TRIANGLE FACTORY FIRE. IN

AITFThe first investigative unit of its kind in the nation

and conduct more than 1,200 inspections of firms throughout the New York City’s garment sector each year. Task Force members investigate garment manufactures and contractors to inspect working conditions review employee records and examine registration certificates. The AITF issues violation notices to businesses that break state laws covering registration, child labor, wages and benefits, working hours and industrial homework. In addition, the Task Force refers any unsafe working conditions to the appropriate state, local or federal authorities

Video Footage Ladder 117 FDNY

The above link will direct you to video uploaded by a NY firefighter. Some of the video is a reenactment of the Triangle Factory Fire. Other parts are actual video footage of the tragic events on March 25, 1911.

Floor PlanThe plan of the factory 9th floor shows 75 foot long tables. 240 people worked in this space.  Chairs and work baskets blocked the aisles, making it necessary to climb over work tables to reach the exits.  By law the building should have had three stairs, but the Building Department permitted an exception at the request of the architect. The rear fire escape was suppose to lead to a courtyard but ended above a skylight on the ground floor. Only the Greene Street stair exited onto the roof. The stairway doors were supposed to remain unlocked and open outward by law "where practicable." (Section 80, State labor Law) The doors opened inward, when they opened at all, because the 2 foot 9 inch stairway was too narrow to accommodate the open doors

The End