16h 40min, mar 25, 1911 y - Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire
Description:
A large fire in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City, NY. The workers in the factory at the time were mostly young Italian and Jewish immigrant women, about 500 in total. The factory was located on the 8th, 9th, and 10th floors of the Asch Building in Manhattan. When the fire broke out, the workers tried to escape through the doors, but found that it had been locked by the owner to dissuade thieves and truants. The fire department soon arrived, but their ladders could only reach the 6th floor. In their desperation, 46 workers jumped from the building and died in the fall. After the fire died, a hundred more bodies were found in the factory. As a result, new factory inspection laws and fire codes were passed to prevent such a catastrophe from happening again. It also strengthened organizations like the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union (ILGWU) and the Women's Trade Union League (WTUL). The two factory owners, Max Blanck and Isaac Harris, were acquitted of manslaughter but found guilty of wrongful death in a civil lawsuit, and were fined $75 per victim.
Casualties:
123 women
23 men
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