The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire: A Turning Point in Labor History

the, Triangle, shirt, waist, factory, fire was, a, man-made, disaster, a, tragedy, of, the Industrial, Age, made, all, the, worse

because, it, could, have, been prevented, let, me, set, the, scene, New, York City, early, 20th, century, the, Triangle

shirt, waste, Factory, occupied, several floors, of, a, Manhattan, business, building called, The, Ash, building, it, was, located

just, off, Washington, Square, Park, one, of the, wealthiest, neighborhoods, in, the, city the, triangle, Shir, waste, Factory, was, by

almost, any, definition, a, sweat, shop, it was, a, densely, packed, Place, some, 500 people, worked, there, and, the, work

schedule, was, punishing, 11, to, 12, hours, a day, every, day, most, of, the, people employed, at, the, factory, were, young

immigrant, women, teenagers, even, who didn't, speak, English, these, women, sat, at long, tables, day, in, day, out, sewing, shirt

waes, shirt, wastes, were, mass-produced blouses, they, resembled, men's, shirts, and were, very, popular, with, working, women, so

here's, what, happened, March, 25th, 1911 Saturday, evening, the, end, of, the, work, day the, work, week, a, fire, started, in, a, bin, of

cotton, scraps, perhaps, from, a, cigarette butt, a, manager, tried, to, use, a, hose, to put, it, out, but, the, hose, valve, was, rusted

shut, and, the, hose, itself, was, rotted, away the, factory, floor, didn't, have, a sprinkler, system, so, the, fire, spread

quickly, people, panicked, the, building, had only, one, flimsy, fire, escape, and, it wasn't, nearly, big, enough, it, collapsed

the, building, had, four, elevators, but, only one, was, working, and, it, only, held, 12 people, at, a, time, it, managed, to, make, four

rescue, trips, before, it, broke, down, some desperate, workers, jumped, to, their, deaths down, the, Elevator, Shaft, workers, tried, to

take, the, stairs, but, the, exit, doors, only opened, Inward, and, they, were, kept, locked by, Factory, management, many, people, were

crushed, to, death, trying, to, get, out firefighting, technology, hadn't, caught, up to, the, new, tall, buildings, of, a, city, like

New, York, the, fire, hoses, and, ladders could, only, reach, the, seventh, floor, one floor, short, of, the, fire, dozens, of

desperate, workers, jumped, out, of, the windows, they, chose, to, die, from, the, fall and, setad, of, the, Flames, other, workers

burned, to, death, or, died, from, smoke inhalation, the, whole, episode, lasted, just 18

minutes, 144, people, were, dead, two, more died, later, in, the, hospital, bringing, the death, toll, to

146, until, the, events, of, September, 11th it, was, the, deadliest, workplace, disaster in, New, York, City, history, days, later, on

April, 5th, a, massive, funeral, protest March, took, place, on, Fifth, Avenue, in Manhattan, more, than

350,000, people, were, in, attendance, the factory, owners, Max, Blanc, and, Isaac Harris, were, indicted, for, manslaughter

but, were, declared, not, guilty, in, their trial, later, that, year, yet, long, after, the Flames, died, out, the, Triangle, shirt, waste

factory, fire, served, as, a, cautionary, tale that, helped, to, redefine, the, American industrial

workplace, the, fire, was, a, key, moment, in the, growth, of, labor, unions, particularly the

ilgwu, or, International, la, ladies, garment Workers, Union, New, York, City, passed measures, including, the, Sullivan, Hoy, fire

prevention, law, which, required, sprinkler systems, to, be, installed, in, all, factories it, served, as, a, model, for, state, and

National, workplace, safety, codes, these measures, made, American, workers, safer, but they, were, too, late, for, the, workers, who

perished, one, terrible, March, day, at, the triangle, Shir, was Factory, getting, elected, president, is, an

expensive, business, campaign, costs, add, up there, are, advertisements, to, make, travel expenses, convention, cost, even, bumper

stickers, but, where, does, all, this, money come, from