David Cotham

July 8th, 2021

HIS 153

Professor Lark

Triangle Shirtwaist Incident: A Tragedy Fueled by Carelessness

The Triangle Shirtwaist fire of 1911 is a case study of how hazardous working conditions

creates an environment prone to disaster. There are many factors in play that contributed to the

unfortunate events that unfolded on the 25th of March. Some of the factors include; lack of safety

measurements in place, poor management, and environmental factors. Recognizing these issues

can be a vital step in learning from past mistakes and using our knowledge of history to not have

a repeat of this tragedy. The responsibility rests on the owners and despite the attitude of the era,

does not make them exempt from accountability.

A quick background on the Triangle Shirtwaist reveals some shocking details about the

business and its operations. Clara Lemlich, a former employee who sparked a strike against the

company two years prior, published a testimony in 1909 that describes the working conditions of

the building. According to her personal accounts, it is a poor layout, it is unsanitary, and

cluttered. Clara says, “The shops. Well, there is just one row of machines that the daylight ever

gets to - that is the front row, nearest the window. The girls at all the other rows of machines

back in the shops have to work by gaslight, by day as well as by night. Oh, yes, the shops keep

the work going at night, too” (Lemlich). The description implies some of the girls work in poor

lighting and bound to their machines. Later she claims, “The shops are unsanitary - that's the

word that is generally used, but there ought to be a worse one used” (Lemlich). Furthering the

point. Clara is not alone in her testimony. A worker by the name of Sadie Frowne shares similar
experiences in her testimony. She adds, “The machines go like mad all day because the faster

you work the more money you get” (Frowne). The testimonies provide some imagery about the

danger of working in the shop. Dark, unsanitary, fast, and unmaintained. One more important

detail about the lack of safety precautions is about the fire escape. The New York Times reports

in their paper titled “141 Men and Girls Die in Waist Factory Fire”. They explain with the 10

story building that, “There is just one fire escape in the building. That one is an interior fire

escape” (New York Times. 1). This interior fire escape as later events reveal, incapable of

providing a proper means of escape. An ethical issue is that the workshop owner’s hired 600

people and permitted them to work with the risk. In the public hearing over the matter, it seems

to state that the fire-proofing is an issue that needs improving. A witness identified as Mr. Croker

is asked and responds to the following;

Q. Did they have fire-escapes - were they fireproof as a rule or not? A. No, sir. They have

gradually improved to the so-called fireproof building, which consists of buildings that

you are all probably acquainted with around New York to-day, from twelve to twenty-

five stories high.

New York (State) Factory Investigating Commission, Preliminary Report of the Factory

Investigating Commission, 1912, 3 vols. (Albany, New York: The Argus Company, printers,

1912), 2:5-6, 14-21, 35-36, 39-40

Another sign that the tragedy was the fault of the owner’s is that the employees were not

cared for. There are multiple accounts of the harsh working conditions and mistreatment of the

employees. Clara recounts information about the bosses, “They yell at the girls and they "call

them down" even worse than I imagine the Negro slaves were in the South” (Lemlich). If they

were treated as such then it leads me to believe that they would not prioritize safety either.
 The “Second Industrial Revolution” was had widespread corruption and hard to compete

in. Anti-trust laws were being discussed and regulations were in the works. The HIS153 E-

Textbook states, “Industrial capitalism unleashed powerful forces in American life. Along with

wealth, technological innovation, and rising standards of living, a host of social problems

unsettled many who turned to reform politics to set the world right again” (Schoolcraft College).

Despite the fact that the owners likely had unfair competition, they wanted to compete by

making sacrifices that lead to tragedy. For that, they are at fault.

Sources cited:
Frowne, Sadie. 25 September, 1902. TESTIMONIALS. Cornell University. Web. 9 July, 2021.

https://trianglefire.ilr.cornell.edu/primary/testimonials/ootss_SadieFrowne.html

Lemlich, Clara. 28 November, 1909. TESTIMONIALS. Cornell University - The Triangle

Factory Fire.

https://trianglefire.ilr.cornell.edu/primary/testimonials/ootss_ClaraLemlich.html.

New York (State) Factory Investigating Commission, Preliminary Report of the Factory

Investigating Commission, 1912, 3 vols. (Albany, New York: The Argus Company, printers,

1912), 2:5-6, 14-21, 35-36, 39-40. Web. 8 July, 2021

https://trianglefire.ilr.cornell.edu/primary/reports/EdwardCrokerTestimony.html

New York Times. 26 March, 1911. 141 Men and Girls Die in Waist Factory Fire, p. 1.

https://trianglefire.ilr.cornell.edu/primary/newspapersMagazines/nyt_032611.html

Schoolcraft College. n.d. HIS153 E-Text. Web. 8 July, 2021

https://bbaddins.schoolcraft.edu/addins/hist153v2/etext/ch2-pro-intro.html