Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire- March 25, 1911.

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RedGlitter
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Joined: Thu Dec 22, 2005 3:51 am

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire- March 25, 1911.

Post by RedGlitter »

These pictures have a lot of impact for me. I've always been intrigued and sickened by this specific point in history. March 25, 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York caught fire, starting on the 8th floor, then proceeding to the 9th and 10th.

The mostly immigrant seamstresses were trapped inside as there were no labor laws at the time and nothing to protect them from their employer locking them into the factory so they couldn't leave and cost him money.

The women who didn't burn alive, jumped to their deaths.

The firefighters could do little anyway - their ladders did not reach as high as the 8th floor, their nets and blankets broke under the weight of the falling girls.

This event sparked proper labor laws but a little too late for these women.

The first photo shows the Triangle Shirtwaist factory. (A shirtwaist was a type of women's dress)

Second shows the seamstresses at work.

Third shows the bodies of some of the women who jumped.

Fourth shows the makeshift morgue.

I don't know why this is close to my heart but every March 25th I think about these women and the terror they must have felt in having to decide between consumption by fire and breaking their bodies on the pavement.

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Rapunzel
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Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire- March 25, 1911.

Post by Rapunzel »

RedGlitter;649935 wrote: I don't know why this is close to my heart but every March 25th I think about these women and the terror they must have felt in having to decide between consumption by fire and breaking their bodies on the pavement.


One can see the close analogy between this dreadful story and the twin towers.

In 90 years, what have we really learned about making escape from a multi-story building easier and safer in case of fire? :-1
RedGlitter
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Joined: Thu Dec 22, 2005 3:51 am

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire- March 25, 1911.

Post by RedGlitter »

Yep and some of the fire escapes collapsed.

What sickens me is that those women could have made it out of the building if their boss hadn't chosen to lock the doors from the outside! I wonder where he was during this time?!
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