Barred Doors: Unlock A R evolution

1. Barred Doors: Unlock A Revolution By: Casey Revilla and Shannon Higgins

2. Summary • The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire occurred on March 25, 1911. It was a fire that created change. No one knows exactly how the fire started but they were sure that it had fuel from the scraps of clothing that were never recycled. The employees were locked in because one of the owners locked the doors so the employees could not leave earlier than they were suppose to. The fire started at 4:45pm and continued on until 5:15pm. Even though this fire was short it was deadly. There was a total of 146 immigrants who were killed by the fire. This building contained one fire escape but as soon as someone attempted to use it, it crumbled to pieces. When the firefighters came and tried to put out the fire and help people escape the ladders and hoses came up short. So then the people stuck inside finally had the choice to pick their deaths. They could jump out the window and hit the pavement, or burn to death, or suffocate by the smoke. There was also the two elevator operators that were coming up to try to save people. They could only fit so many people in one trip that the workers started to jump down the elevator shaft and thud dead on the top. There were so many workers who jumped on the elevator that the weight of them kept the elevator from going upward.

3. Strike • The strike occurred on September of 1909 • The immigrants went on strike for a higher pay and better working conditions • The immigrants needed more money to support their families

4. Pictures This is a march for all the workers who were killed in the fire These are lady strikers who are fighting for their rights These are workers working to make money for their families

5. Trial • One of the owners had locked one of the doors and the workers were stuck in the building. • The owners of the factory paid 75 dollars per loss. • One of the witnesses of the fire had spoken at trial against the owners Isaac Harris and Max Blanck. His name was Joseph Zito , he was the elevator boy. • They also had a fireman who tried to stop the fire but their equipment came up short. • There was a worker who survived that was interviewed his name was William Bernstein he worked on the 8th floor. • They interviewed a firemen named, Charles M. Laugh, who witnesses the fire • The owners also had to pay a twenty dollar fine for locking the doors • They had to pay a total of $11700 for the fines

6. How it changed • The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had changed the world in many ways. • It had changed fire safety. Now we have functioning fire escapes , longer fire hoses, extended fire ladders, and fire extinguishers. • We are more efficient with the awareness of fires occurring. • With better fire safety we can put fires out anywhere. • There are also firemen who go around to schools to teach the children what to do in case of a fire

7. Fire Safety • Now we have more improved fire safety equipment. Now we can feel more safe that when a fire occurs that we have fire extinguishers and other supplies to attempt to put out the fire. • Fire safety has now improved since passed experiences (ex. Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire ) we can be safe and help get rid of fires.

8. Pictures The firemen were trying to put out the fire This is a example of how owners treated their workers This is the only fire escape that crumbled at use The burning building

9. Victims • Aberstein, Julia 30   • Adler, Lizzie 24   • Altman, Anna 16   • Ardito, Anna 25   • Astrowsky, Becky 20   • Bassino, Rosie 31   • Belatta, Vincenza 16   • Bellotta, IgnaziaBenanti, Vincenza 22   • Bernstein, Essie 19   • Bernstein, Jacob 28   • Bernstein, Morris 19   • Bernstein, Moses Bierman, Gussie 22 • Binevitz, Abraham 20   • Brenman, Rosie Brenman, Surka (Sarah)   Brodsky, Ida 16   • Brodsky, Sarah 21       17

10. Victims • Brooks, Ida 18   • Brunette, Laura 17   • Caputta 17   Carlisi, Josep 31   • Caruso, Albina 20   • Carutto, Frances 17   • Castello, Josie 21  Cirrito, Rosie   Cohen, Anna 25   • Colletti, Antonia (Annie) 30   • Costello, Della   • Crepo, Rose 19   • Denent, Grances 20   • Dichtenhultz (Fichtenhultz), Yetta 18   • Dockman (Dochman), Dora (Clara) 19   Downic, Kalman 24   • Eisenberg, Celia 17   • Feibush, Rose Feicisch(Feibish), Rebecca 17  . • Feltzer 40   • Fitze, Mrs. Dosie Lopez 24 • Forrester, May 25   • Franco, Jennie 16  

11. Victims • Frank, Tina 17   • Gallo, Mrs. Mary 23   • Geib, Bertha 25   • Gernstein, Molly 17   • Gittlin, Celina 17     Goldstein, Esther   Goldstein, Lena 22   • Goldstein, Mary 11   • Goldstein, Yetta 20   • Gorfield, Esther 22   • Grameattassio, Mrs. Irene 24   • Harris, Esther 21   • Herman, Mary 40   • Jakobowski, Ida

12. Sidewalk Chalk The families of the victims wrote in front of the victims houses. They wrote in chalk and it said their name, how old they are, how they died, and where they worked.

13. Timeline • 1866- The National Labor Union was formed • 1886- The American Federation of Labor was formed • 1900 -The International Ladies Garment Workers Union was formed • 1901- The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire opens on the 8th, 9th, and 10th floors of the Asch building • June 1909-A fire prevention expert wrote a letter to the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory telling the owners to schedule a meeting about improving fire safety, but the letter was ignored • 1909-Strike in New York City’s Garment Industry • March 25 1911-(4:45pm)-The fire had started on the 8th floor • March 25 1911-(5:15pm)-The fire reached the 9th and 10th floors • March 25, 1911(8:00) - 60 bodies have been brought down from the upper floors

14. Timeline Continued… • April 2, 1911-National Women’s Trade Union League held a composed protest lack of fire safety and bringing the owners to court • April 5, 1911-International Ladies Garment Workers Union had constructed funeral procession and a march to honor those who died • April 11, 1911-Owners Blanck and Harris accused • December 4, 1911-The owners go to trial for manslaughter • 1912- Eight new workplaces safety laws created • 1913- Twenty-five new workplace safety laws created • 1913- Blanck and Harris were warned about safety violations because of locked doors • August 1913-Blanck was charged 20 dollars for locking one of the doors in the factory during work hours • 1914- Lawsuits are brought against Harris and Blanck • March 11, 1914-Blank and Harris paid 75 dollars per life lost • February 22, 2001-The last survivor, Rose Freedman had died at the age of 107 • 2003- The Asch building is now called the Brown building and owned by New York University. The building has become an official landmark

15. Pictures Families trying to identify lost loved ones Workers who jumped to their deaths This is what the floors look like after the fire The owners; Blank and Harris

16. Process Paper • Our topic is The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire of 1911. This fire occurred at the Asch Building in Manhattan, New York. This topic came upon us while we were looking at other topics such as The News Boys Strike of 1899. We decided to pick this topic after we did research on it because it interested us how people who worked in factories were treated and the conditions of their work areas. Another reason why we chose this was because of the impact it made on fire safety laws. This specific topic had three different parts to it; the fire, the trial, and the strike. The trial took place because one of the owners locked the doors in the factory and during the fire the employees could not escape. The strike was to promote the safety of all factory employees and how to have owners provide away to evacuate the building in case of a fire. • We conducted our research from many different places such as websites, books, and interviews. We interviewed a woman named Dr. Susan Zeiger, who is an expert on women’s history and works at Primary Source in Watertown. She showed us a book titled “The Triangle Fire” by Leon Stein. This book had photographs and a poem about working in the factory and the fire. We also had an interview with an author named Brenda Lange, who wrote a book about our topic. Her book was also a great source because it stated information about how people tried to change the laws of fire safety in factories and what happened during and after the fire. • Since our project was about a fire we decided to make our board, look like the building. We screwed four pieces of wood together to look like the building. We then painted one side like bricks and the other like what the Asch Building looked like after the fire. Afterwards, we gathered all our pictures and information and started putting them in their places on our board. Then we added the finishing touches and made it presentable. We also put our title on the top in big letters; “Barred Doors Unlock a Revolution.” • The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire relates to the theme of Revolution, Reform, and Reaction in many ways. The fire caused a revolution in fire safety laws for factories. The revolution of fire safety laws occurred because one of the owners of the factories had locked the doors. Sadly, the fire escape wasn’t stable. The reaction was that the fire inspired Frances Perkins to become the Secretary of Labor and make changes to the rights of factory employees. These new rights didn’t take actions until 1970. This fire also helped reform fire safety because now we have smoke detectors, longer fire hoses, longer ladders and fire extinguishers. This fire is well known today because the building is still standing as an official landmark.

17. Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuuUms7ckH8

18. THE END!!!!!