Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Trial

“The ‘Triangle’ company, “With blood this name will be written in the history of the American workers’ movement, and with feeling will this history recall the names of the strikers of this shop- of the crusaders” (Von Drehle 86). Even before it happen, the Forward predicted the terrible disaster of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory that occurred one year, one month, and seventeen days later (86). Triangle: The Fire that Changed America, by David Von Drehle tells the story of the horrible fire.

Before the fire broke out on Sunday night, October 8, 1871 there had been a large drought causing everything to be dry and extremely flammable. Many fires had been breaking out in Chicago. Records show that in 1870 the fire

The 146 deaths caused by the Triangle fire were not looked over. This fire is said to be one that changed America because that is exactly what it did. The work done the following year created a series of new laws in the 1913 legislation that was “unmatched to that time in American history.” (Von Drehle 215) The Tammany Twins, Robert Wagner in Senate and Al Smith in the Assembly, completely recast the labor law of the nation’s largest state by pushing through twenty-five bills. Laws such as mandatory fire drills in large shops, unlocked doors that swing outwards, and automatic sprinklers in high rise buildings, were enforced by the Factory Commissions push through of a “complete reorganization of the state Department of Labor.” (Von Drehle 215)

Though the defendants faced prejudice and discrimination, they kept on with their cases and appeals until the verdicts were determined. The attorneys of the accused were Black and Swett. Along with the allegation that Grinnell’s witnesses were lying, the defending lawyers said that none of the eight had intended for any form violence and they even offered proof that some of the accused were not even near Haymarket Square on May 4th. Furthermore along with their apparent innocence, six of the eight were not present when the bomb went off, and the two that were there, Spies and Samuel Fielden were both in plain view of the crowd and police. Despite the logic of the defendant’s case, passion and prejudice led the jury to conclude that the bombing was a direct result of a deliberate conspiracy.

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

     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 Great Chicago Fire was a tragic event to happen in the city's history. While the cause of this major fire is unknown, Chicago's wood buildings and dry summer made the fire much worse. There are a few theories to how this fire started, but what is known for sure is that it started in the O'Leary's barn. This particular fire lasted two days and spread quickly. Firefighters were contacted, but were sent to the wrong place, causing chaos and delays as they tried to find the fire. By the time firefighters got there, the fire was spreading from house to house, already unmanageable. Before they knew it the fire had taken over the city. Within two days, the water tank in the city had run out of water. Luckily before the fire moved further, on October 10 1871, it was put out by nature's rain.

A fire that swept through the center of Chicago began on a Sunday night in October 8, 1871. The location that these roaring flames initiated from, was the place on 137 De Koven Street at the O'Leary family little barn. Misdirected fire equipment arrived too late, and a steady wind from the southwest carried the flames and blazing debris from block to block. The houses became kindling for the downtown conflagration, where even the supposedly fireproof stone and brick buildings exploded in flames as the destruction swept northward. This natural disaster would burn for the entirety of Sunday, all day Monday, and even into the early hours of Tuesday. The fire was supposedly started when a milk dairy cow kicked over a lantern, but some believe that it was from the striking of a meteor. Either way great devastation was concluded on Chicago. This year in history was also extremely

At 2215 hrs, on November 28, 1942, Fire Alarm Headquarters from Box 1514, situated at Stuart and Carver streets, received an alarm. When the responding apparatus arrived they found a small car fire at the corner of Stuart Street and Broadway. After the fire was extinguished the firefighters were about to return to quarters when their attention was called to smoke emanating from the Cocoanut Grove Nightclub a few doors away. Upon their arrival at the entrance of the Broadway lounge on Broadway they encountered numerous people leaving the premises admidst the cries of “fire”. The chief in charge immediately ordered that a third alarm be sounded from Alarm Box 1521 which the alarm was received by fire alarm headquarters at 2223 hrs. A

1909- Sunday, october 3rd the shaft exploded, 10 men doing maintenance in the mine were killed. Roof fires were ignited from the embers of the explosion. The Cle elum fire department helped out Roslyn 's with the fires.

The greatest lesson learned from this tragedy was the need for planned fire drills and accessible fire escapes. If the employers would have made it mandatory that all employees become familiar with the buildings layout, practice fire drills and know their closest fire escape, it would have aided the employees in the hour of despair. The biggest cause for death in this fire was a result of poor pre-fire planning. The building may be fire proof, but the people and contents inside are not.

“I put my lamp too close, John.” - Ernest Sullau (Quotes) The person who started the fire, Ernest Sullau, said a he stood watching the fire burn and eat away at hard-earned work. Over 160 miners died doing what (some of them) loved. Most death-themed casualties happened from asphyxiation from smoke. The flags were at half mass that day, all of the wars happening were forgotten because of this great devastation.

In the Copper County, miners were not allowed to form a union until just before 1913. The strike was about the conditions of the miners and what they had to go through while mining, it was an extremely dangerous job. They did not get paid much, the labor was intense, and the days were long. The strike lasted about nine months until the union that formed the strike, was ran out of town. It was considered a turning point of mining history in the Keweenaw, even though it was not a success (Watson, 2014). During the strike, something very disastrous and heartbreaking happened in Calumet, Michigan. Most locals know the story of the Italian Hall Massacre, it is known as a very important part of the mining strike. It is Christmas Eve, 1913, and many strikers decide to throw a party for their families and children for the holiday. There are more than five-hundred people inside the Italian Hall in Calumet, which is also home of the Calumet and Hecla mine, one of the biggest mines in the area. Everyone is dancing and laughing and having and amazing time if all their friends and family, and the strike slips their minds for a while. Then, all of a sudden, someone screams "Fire!" Although there was never a fire, panic erupts in hall, everyone searching for a way out, running towards the only door and staircase. Everyone barricaded the door on accident, and many tripped and fell. There were so many people blocking the door that the firemen could not even help there on the main door, they had to go up the fire escapes and through the roof. There were seventy-three people just piled on the floor in front of the door, dead from being trampled or suffocated, at least sixty of which were children. Many people were considered suspects, but the truth is, no one knows what exactly happened that grim-Christmas Eve night. All we know is that it was a man who just wanted the strike to be over and done with, even if he never indented to kill