Book Review of 'Triangle: The Fire That Changed America'

Triangle tells of the disastrous event of the Triangle shirtwaist factory. It was the fire in New York that took the lives of 146 workers. The Triangle fire occurred March 25, 1911, and for ninety years it was the deadliest workplace disaster in New York history (Von Drehle 3). Von Drehle tells a very descriptive story of the Triangle fire that covers a lot more than just the fire. He begins by telling of the workers and the worker strikes that were going on at the time. Von Drehle then tells the story of the awful day of the fire. Lastly, he describes the trial that followed, and then how the main people of the book end up. While telling the story of the fire, Von Drehle also talked about the politics going on, this dealt with Tammy Hall, the political machinery of NYC and the most powerful machine in America (Von Drehle 12).

The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 was one of the largest disasters in American history. Practically overnight the great city of Chicago was destroyed. Before the fire there was a large drought causing everything to be dry and flammable, then a fire broke out in the O’Leary’s barn and spread throughout the city. Many attempts were made to put out the fire but there were too many errors and problems in the beginning. After the fire many people were left homeless and had to help build their city again (Murphy, 39)

Life in the early 1900’s wasn’t easy. Competition for jobs was at an all time high, especially in New York City. Immigrants were flooding in and needed to find work fast, even if that meant in the hot, overcrowded conditions of garment factories. Conditions were horrid and disaster was inevitable, and disaster did strike in March, 1911. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York set on fire, killing 146 workers. This is an important event in US history because it helped accomplish the tasks unions and strikes had tried to accomplish years earlier, It improved working conditions in factories nationwide and set new safety laws and regulations so that nothing as catastrophic would happen again. The workplace struggles became public after

Triangle: The Fire That Changed America by David Von Drehle gives readers a look into one of the most significant tragedies to take place in the United States. Before writing this book, Von Drehle was an American journalist working with The Denver Post, Miami Herald, Washington Post, and Time. Von Drehle is a very accomplished writer as he has won several awards those which recognize his excellence in young journalism, among these are, the Livingston award and the American Bar Association’s Silver Gavel Award. Triangle was written with amazing descriptions that transport you to the day in 1911 where the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire took place. The book gives its audience a chance to experience what not only that horrific day was like, but what most days were like for factory workers. Von Drehle believes that “the fire was a crucial moment in American history that forced fundamental reforms from the political machinery of New York and the whole nation.” (Von Drehle 3)

After reading the novel Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix and watching the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire 1911 documentary it became apparent that there were several similarities between the two, however, there are also many differences. Haddix wrote Uprising from the perspective of three young girls over the period of a few years leading up to the fire; while the documentary simply covered the indecent of the fire and used first hand accounts of civilians that were around the building during the event. Although Uprising and the documentary on the fire may tell it a little differently, both tell the history of one of the worst disasters in New York’s history.

The scene is horrible, bodies lay on the ground killed by guns, hatchets, and knives even war clubs all just beyond words. The bodies on the ground are not the only ones they find, in the houses they find much more. Some that hid in the cellars died as they were trapped in the fire. Mothers, fathers and children burned and smothered in what they thought would be safe.

Some disasters are so impactful, that they forever change the course of history. On March 25, 1911, one such event took place. The infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Fire occurred that day, and left one hundred and forty-six people dead in its wake. While many at the time thought the story would soon pass, and with it all the potential bad publicity, the story of the fire spread quickly, and outraged many people. As a result, the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire ended up changing many

On the afternoon of March 25, 1911, a fire broke out in the 10-floor Asch Building, a block east of Manhattan's Washington Square. This is where 500 mostly young immigrant girls were producing shirts for the Triangle Shirtwaist Company. Within minutes, it spread to consume the building's upper three stories. Firemen at the scene were unable to rescue those trapped inside: their ladders weren't tall enough. Exits were locked, and the narrow fire escapes were inadequate. Panicked, many jumped from the windows to their deaths. People on the street watched in horror. The flames were under control in less than a half hour, but 146 people perished, 123 of them women. It was the worst disaster in the city's history.

On October 15, 1910 the factory has a mandatory fire inspection and they pass. A month later, a fire in Newark kills twenty-five workers. This stimulates fire prevention efforts in buildings but again, this warning is ignored. January 15, 1911 is the last time prior to the fire that garbage is taken from the factory. On March 16, another report warning of improper safety standards in New York buildings is published. However, like previous warnings, it is again ignored. Nine days later, at 4:45 PM, just before workers would be released, a fire breaks out on the eighth floor. This fire will take the lives of a 146 unfortunate victims. Most of these victims are those of young woman. Six minutes later, the New York Fire Department (NYFD) arrives on site. By this time, the fire is spreading up to the ninth and tenth floors, which also belong to the Triangle Shirtwaist Company. Those on the eighth floor quickly head down and those on the tenth floor flee to the roof. However, most workers who were on the ninth floor are stranded, unable to move up or down. By 4:47 PM, the last of the bodies from the ninth floor land on the sidewalk, falling from the ninth floor ledge. It is not until 5:05 PM, that the fire is finally taken under control and ten minutes later is described as “all over.” (Stein. Triangle Fire) NYFD fighters head to all the top floors of the building finding many severely burned bodies. Mobs of

When a young author from New York City decides to take a trip to the southern city of Savannah, he finds himself falling in love with the town and ends up renting an apartment. He encounters many different characters, including Danny Hansford and Jim Williams, that gives the reader a good look into the aura of Savannah. The main conflict in the book occurs when a murder happens in an old mansion located in the town. The book follows the progression of the trial and the outcome following the court’s decision.

     Near closing time on Saturday afternoon, March 25, 1911, in New York City a fire broke out on the top floors of the Asch Building in the Triangle Shirtwaist Company. One of the worst tragedies in American history it was know as the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. It was a disaster that took the lives of 146 young immigrant workers. A fire that broke out in a cramped sweatshop that trapped many inside and killed 146 people.

The fire, which murdered 146 material specialists, happened in New York City in 1911. The fire murdered the specialists since they were bolted into their working environment and had no chance to get of getting away. One entryway was constantly bolted and the other entryway dependably had a gatekeeper at it. In the result of the flame, the proprietors of the industrial facility were let off with an ostensible fine and no different disciplines. The fire demonstrated that numerous American laborers were compelled to work in extremely perilous conditions.

While the birth of the progressive era started the support of women’s rights rapidly increased and that help promote the reform greatly. The triangle catastrophe affected the government and it gave the government a huge wakeup call like stated “ it was a crucial moment in a potent chain of events a chain that ultimately forced fundamental reforms from the political machinery of new York and after new York the whole nation ( Drehle,2004, 3).”The aftermath of the fire was a very big part of why we have automatic sprinklers, fire drills, fire extinguishers and marked exit doors that can be open easily and also why fire safety laws and fire regulations are so important and why they are enforced so

The book assigned to me for this assignment was Killer Show by John Barylick. It 's an informative non-fictional book. It tells the real life tragedy of the fatal “Station” nightclub fire in West Warwick, Rhode Island. The story is told using flashbacks and analysis in each chapter of the book. Before I started reading this book I was intrigued because the main events in this story are in the 21st century. This is unlike the other books that could have been assigned to me. The date of this horrific tale was February 20, 2003. The book goes in detail about the history of the Station, what was the cause of the fire, how people escaped the fire and the aftermath of the fire. Barylick is a respected Providence, Rhode Island lawyer. After the fire, he was one of the lawyers that represented the many victims of the fire. Therefore, he knows how much this fire affected the West Warwick community. He has researched the public record of the fire 's investigation which allows him to point out those at fault. There were ownership issues, fire marshal issues and sustainability issues that caused such a disaster. The focus of this story that changed the built environment. Although this is a troubling story there is much to be learned from it.

The Triangle tragedy opened many people’s eyes. The realities of a disaster happening anywhere, at anytime, were real and people needed to prepare. Many investigations were launched surrounding the Triangle fire. Commissions formed that later gave out rulings and findings. Even the Ladies Garment Workers Union became involved, trying to get standards and codes passed that would ensure the safety of workers in the workplace.