Essay On Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

The tragedy that was the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire (Triangle Fire) could be attributed to a plethora of cumulative factors that brought about the deaths of numerous factory workers. The event referred to as, “The Fire That Changed America” (Argersinger 1), occurred just a short time after the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory strike (Triangle Strike), which addressed the horrific conditions faced by the factory workers and their right to unionize; and confirmed the claims of the Triangle Strike women workers. Despite factory owners across New York City giving into the demands of the factory workers right to unionize, have higher wages, and less hours; resulting in the strikes ending, the triangle shirtwaist factory owners abstained from coming …show more content…
“[I]f you are allowed in the ‘loft’ itself, you will find yourself in a single great room, its floor area that of a concert-hall, filled from end to end with men and girls working at motor-driven machines” (Argersinger 40). The ceilings were designed much higher than normal apartment buildings, which provided Triangle Factory owners, Max Blanck and Isaac Harris, also known as the “Shirtwaist Kings” (Argersinger 4), with additional square footage per worker, though the extra space was not allocated as the law intended. “The New York factory laws say that every factory worker shall have 250 cubic feet of air” (Argersinger 41). The raised ceilings of the lofts allowed The Shirtwaist Kings to increase the square-foot of air space, but in reality, the workers faced cramped working spaces. “Considering the very great amount of floor area always taken up by tables, men and girls and machines could be packed as closely as the chairs could be put and the factory owner still be within the law” (Argersinger 41). The loft-style appearance also kept the horrid interior working conditions unobserved from the outside environment. To further contribute to the dangerous conditions, baskets of shirtwaist materials littered the factory floor, as well as finished products hanging above the factory machines. “The fire was spreading faster now, feeding itself on piles of shirtwaists, wooden tables, even the fabric dust that hung in the air” (The American Experience: Triangle Fire). Close working quarters associated with highly flammable material, crowding of the factory floor, and improper allocation of air space all contributed to create fire hazards beyond common belief. The Triangle Strikers witnessed the hazards far beyond what the common passerby could see because they worked directly within the conditions; fire prevention