Unit 6: Populists and Progressives Triangle Shirtwaist Company Fire

March 25th, 1911 At 4:40 in the afternoon, smoke was spotted. Most likely caused by a secret cigarette that hit a pile of cuttings The Triangle Shirtwaist Company occupied the 8th, 9th, and 10th floor of the Asch Building. The doors were locked and chained to stop unauthorized breaks

A Sweatshop Most workers were female or young. Received $7 - $12 a week in pay That is about $3.20-$5.50 in today’s money.

Try to escape No fire alarm for early warning. A women on the 8th floor called the 10th floor but could tell the 9th floor. Staircases were quickly consumed by fire Fire escape stairs not built properly (not inspected), collapsed with 20 people on it killing them all as it fell 100 feet. 2 elevator operators each made 3 trips with packed cars rescuing as many as they could. By then, heat had warped the rails and couldn’t move. Fire department ladders could only reach the 6th floor. Foreman who had key to the doors, escaped and took key with him. Many escaped to the roof and survived. Many chose to jump to their death instead of being burned alive.

William Gun Shepard - Reporter “I learned a new sound that day, a sound more horrible than description can picture, the thud of a speeding living body on a stone sidewalk”

Aftermath 123 women killed 23 men Oldest was 43 Youngest (2) was 14. Both owners were acquitted but later found guilty in a civil suit. Forced to pay $75 to each workers family. They received an insurance check that ended up being $400 per worker.

Inquiry based learning Progressivism has been defined as “ending the evils of the world” or making things better. Research how the fire helped push progressivism further. What effects did the fire have on the worker safety and their future?

Effects of the fire Rose Schneiderman at the memorial pushed hard for women workers unions New York State passed 60 laws from 1911-1913 that included: Access and egress, fireproofing, fire extinguishers, fire alarms, sprinklers, and limited child working hours.