The survivor interview that I read came from Ida Kornweiser, who was an operator and sleeve setter on the ninth floor. Ida stated that she had worked on the ninth floor for a little under a year when the fire happened. She also stated in her interview that she worked 4-5 weeks without pay and then only earned $3-4 a week. The fire was discovered soon after the release bell rang and the workers could not escape out the door because it was locked. They also could not go down to the exit they were forced to use because the fire engulfed the stairs. Ida wrapped herself in a material from the floor and climbed, through flames, to the roof to escape. Ida and many other workers escaped from the burning building by crossing planks that were set on a nearby building to the factory. The factory was not equipped to handle a situation like this and the owners were given a slap on the wrist.
It is ridiculous that the owners of the factory decided to lock the doors because they did not want anyone to steal from them; even though they were making a hefty profit by paying workers relatively nothing. I believe the workers had every right to steal from the factory after the owners robbed them of a better life. Like you said in your response to my comment, I think there should have been a way to inform the workers of the fire, and there should be multiple fire exits.
I agree that the the owners locking the doors for fear of theft is outrageous. My primary source stated that the company would hold back a week's pay from the employees, therefore they deserved to be stolen from. I also think that Ida and the others were extremely brave in their escape from the factory.
It seems crazy how trapped they were inside of this building. If one looks at today's standards, working conditions have come a long way. It was very brilliant of Ida to have covered herself in order to keep her body safe from the flames. It was probably a lucky guess that there were planks to help them across once they got to the roof. Then again, buildings were closer together in this time so she may have even been able to jump to another building.
I find myself engaged in the same aspects of Tyler's posts that the rest of you made. I am impressed by the ingenuity of those who were able to escape, while also saddened by those who didn't. I also find your observations interesting about the workers being justified to take from the company. One could argue in this instance that these workers were being robbed of their ability to profit from their labor and responded by robbing the company (if they were doing so). This notion often isn't brought out when modern society is quick to label people such as this as thieves. What makes the observation even more interesting is that studies indicate that "happy" or satisfied workers who feel that their work is fulfilling and profitable are typically more productive and loyal to the success of the company.
Alex Nunn - Interviewer Abe Gordon, Machinist There were many dangerous circumstances surrounding the factory leading to the fire and the deaths of over 100 people. One danger Abe talks about is the machines were closely put together in rows and columns where one had to walk sideways to maneuver through. The top floor's ground was always oily and was rarely swept. Abe also said that the fire escape outside was unable to be used because it collapsed due to it being rusted too badly. These unsafe conditions contributed to the many preventable deaths in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire.
I didn't know that the machines were this close together and the fire exit fell apart. I'm surprised no one did anything about the terrible conditions, like there not being a fire exit.
Perhaps some of the key reforms to come out of the Progressive era involved safety in workplaces. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire tragically contributed to the coming of these reforms. While these reforms and providing safety can be an extra burden on companies, as well as public institutions, individuals lives and well-being should not come before profit, particularly in a moral democratic society.
Anna Pidone worked as a forelady at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory on the 9th floor. She survived the fire but had to endure the memories of it for the rest of her life. The fire started when she was on the 9th floor. She ran to the door to try and get out, but it was locked. (The doors were kept locked to prevent stealing) Since no one could get out of the door, women started jumping out the window to avoid being burned to death. She decided not to jump and instead tried to run to the back staircase door. A barrel of oil exploded just as Anna ran by. The factory was one tremendous safety hazard and prevented people from getting out before hours were up. This was the main cause of the 146 deaths. There was no fire escape and all the doors were locked. The aftermath of the factory fire was a mess. Harris & Blank (the owners of the factory) were put on trial, but they were let off just having to pay 75 dollars a death. None of the survivors were helped by court cases and they did not get justice. Instead of the government helping them ,they had to find help for themselves, which is why many women came together to support and raise money. 30,000 dollars were made Representatives from the Women's Trade Union League, the Workmen's Circle Arbeiter Ring, the Jewish Daily Forward, and the United Hebrew Trades formed the Joint Relief Committee which is where the money came from. No justice was brought upon those responsible and the women were left just as alone as before.
I think Pidone was incredibly brave for not jumping and trying to help herself survive. Even though the oil might be necessary for the factory, I do not think it is such a good idea to keep a barrel of it sitting around. I also love the fact that unions were able to establish themselves after this tragic event. The owners truly did not care about their workers at all.
I found it ridiculous that the owners of the factory were put on trial and let off by only having to pay $75 per death, which I believe wasn't decided until a few years afterwards. It is crazy to find that none of the victims received any justice after working in such horrible conditions and barely surviving a tragedy that could have been prevented by the owners.
Unfortunately for these women, it will take later reforms for workers or their families to receive justice in these tragic and very preventable situations.
Dora Appel Skalka worked on the eight floor of the Triangle Shop as a blouse maker. She worked long hours in dangerous conditions and received low wages, of which a week's pay would consistently be held back by the company. The doors to the workrooms were always locked due to fear of theft, and the women had to show their pocketbooks at the end of the day to prove they had not stolen anything. Dora only used the elevators when arriving and leaving, and always worked with her friend Pauline. On the day of the fire, Pauline left early, so Dora began to clean her supplies up as well because they usually did so together. When she was at the door of the dressing room, she heard screaming and turned to see the fire consuming the cutting table next to her station. Dora and a few other girls in the dressing room ran to the Greene St. staircase, but it was closed. The fire escape was also broken. Somehow, a fireman or policeman smashed the locked door to the workroom. Dora and a few others were taken down to the sixth floor, and they eventually made their way to the lobby. They were not allowed out of the building because the bodies of those who jumped from the upper stories were laying in the street outside the door. Dora eventually made it home, and grieved with Pauline over the tragic loss of their coworkers. Dora eventually went back to work in other shops, but was always haunted by the events of March 25, 1911.
I find it interesting that the employers feared that their employees would take materials, so they decided to lock them in during work hours. The factory seemed to be ill equipped for a tragedy such as this. After reading your response, the similarities between this event and 9/11 are striking. An example of this is how Pauline went home early, while for 9/11 people who were supposed to work took the day off and avoided the tragedy.
That is an eery similarity you point out Tyler between the Triangle Factory Fire and 9/11. Circumstance allowed some to survive and others had to choose to jump to their deaths in order to avoid a worse fate. Again, I am amazed at the attitude toward these working women, particularly in terms of holding back wages. Morale must have been low and then this tragedy occurred. Management was worried about workers robbing from them, but they did not seem to mind "robbing" from their workers.
According to the survivor interviews, the circumstances surrounding the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire were miserable. The conditions of the building were extremely poor and unorganized. Health and safety concerns were not addressed adequately which led to the death of 146 factory workers. An interview of Sylvia Kimeldorf, who worked on the 8th floor, states that her floor which she worked on was very crowded with little room to move between machines. She was not aware that a fire escape in the building even existed, which shows how poor the communication was and how little information was passed to the workers. She was paid around $10 for working 6-7 days a week and never once saw the bosses. The owners supposedly never knew the rates paid to workers or even how many workers they had employed. The unorganized practices that they followed made the building unequipped for working. The Triangle building had safety problems serious enough to lead to severe injuries or death. Even after the fire, the owners were not properly punished for keeping workers in such conditions.
It is awful that these women were working in such hazardous conditions. The owners should have cared more for their employees and worked to ensure their safety. Also, the owners should have been punished more considering they were responsible for the inadequate working conditions.
It is interesting how uninformed the workers were of the safety precautions and the people in power. The owners clearly did not care about the safety of their workers, nor how much they were paid; as long as the bosses were making money, they were not concerned. In accordance with your article, it seemed that this all could have been avoided if there were better safety conditions and communication.
Better safety conditions and communication are now a requirement today. Unfortunately, it took this tragedy and others like it, to bring about the reforms of the Progressive era to do so.
Sarah Friedman Dworetz was a worker on the ninth floor. The workers on the ninth floor did not know of the fire until they tried to leave and smoke filled the room. Girls were climbing over each other to get to the elevator. Many were left behind on the floor and forced to jump on top of the elevator. Dworetz did this, other workers fell on top of her, and she sustained several injuries. She was placed among the dead until she came out of her unconsciousness. Dworetz was bribed to say the building was fireproof, but she refused. Also, the first time she learned of the fire escape was during the interview.
These points that you encountered during your reading of a survivor's report adds to the ways that people got out of the burning building. I found it interesting that the company tried to bribe Sarah to prevent her from leaking the truth about the unsafe practices at the factory. I found it interesting that the workers did not know that there was a fire and it makes me wonder if the owners of the factory cared about their workers, since there was no fire detection equipment. After reading your response, my thought that the owners got off easy is made stronger.
You provide an extraordinary survivor story here, Jon. A woman (Sarah Dworetz) who was thought deceased was fortunate to live and then had the courage to do what's right and refuse a bribe. Exemplary courage.
Survivor Interviews informed me a lot about the circumstances surrounding the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire. The fire started late in the day around 5pm and was on a saturday. The amount of workers who had died were 146 out of 500. The reason many lived was because most went home, while others waited for their pay. They wouldn’t pay you at noon, they would pay you after you worked. You had to wait till after your shift ended to get your money on a saturday. Most people went home on saturday without their pay. Dora Maisler talks about the fire and horrifying events that took place. She talks about how the owners would lock the doors because they said people would steal. There were also elevators, two in front and two freight, which is how some people were able to survive, including herself. She said they would’ve went back up, but the cable in the elevator had been burnt and had ripped which sent them falling to the basement, but not to much of a drop to kill anyone. Once out, they had to find a way out of the basement and when they had; once she had gotten out of the building, she had seen a lot of the workers fleeing to their death instead of being burned alive. Workers were as young as 14 years old, and mostly female.
The account you provide by Dora Maisler indicates the tragedy and horror of this event that she must have experienced. It also sounds like she had the courage to want to go back up and rescue others, but was unable to do so. No doubt, the horror and tragedy of this event stayed with her the rest of her life.
I think that it is interesting how many of the workers lived because they had decided to go home without pay. Had there been more people working until the end of their shift, the casualties potentially could have been much higher. I also think that locking the doors during work hours was unnecessary considering they were not paid until they were done working, so if materials went missing they could hold pay until they were found, which would have been much safer.
This was a horrible traumatic event that not only effected the families of the ones who passed but the other workers. They worked so close knit and most of the workers who were able to get out had to watch there coworkers jump out of the windows. That had to be a horrible thing to watch.
As you state, Melanie, the most intense part of trauma is witnessing those you care about perish, sometimes in horrendous circumstances. There is not doubt in my mind that this event profoundly affected the rest of the lives of these survivors.
The interview that I read was from Celia Walker Friedman. The was an examiner in the ninth floor for the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory . Her job was to was to look over the work being done and intervene if there was a problem and correct it. On the day of the fire all the clothes were gathered and put in boxes. As Celia saw the flames out the window all of the women began screaming and hollering. It was hard for women to maneuver around the floor because the aisles were too narrow and there were chairs scattered everywhere. Piles of boxes blocked stairways to get out of the floor. Celia was never informed of the fire exit until after the fire. The only way for the women to get out was to jump of get in the elevator. Celia did not get in the elevator and was forced to make a quick decision before the fire engulfed the ninth floor. She saw the large center elevator cable, grabbed it, and jumped. The next thing she remembers is waking up in the hospital. She made it out with minor injuries, a miracle. The Red Cross helped Celia more than her own company did. She received $10 a week for 10 weeks from Red Cross, but nothing from the company that almost took her life.
I am always amazed by the careless disregard of employees in these types of works environments. Very typical of factories of the early 1900's (and many still around the world today). Even more sad is the lack of any sense of obligation to the injuries of employees or the families who lost loved one's, due to the negligence of the company.
The survivor interview that I read came from Ida Kornweiser, who was an operator and sleeve setter on the ninth floor. Ida stated that she had worked on the ninth floor for a little under a year when the fire happened. She also stated in her interview that she worked 4-5 weeks without pay and then only earned $3-4 a week. The fire was discovered soon after the release bell rang and the workers could not escape out the door because it was locked. They also could not go down to the exit they were forced to use because the fire engulfed the stairs. Ida wrapped herself in a material from the floor and climbed, through flames, to the roof to escape. Ida and many other workers escaped from the burning building by crossing planks that were set on a nearby building to the factory. The factory was not equipped to handle a situation like this and the owners were given a slap on the wrist.
ReplyDeleteIt is ridiculous that the owners of the factory decided to lock the doors because they did not want anyone to steal from them; even though they were making a hefty profit by paying workers relatively nothing. I believe the workers had every right to steal from the factory after the owners robbed them of a better life. Like you said in your response to my comment, I think there should have been a way to inform the workers of the fire, and there should be multiple fire exits.
DeleteI agree that the the owners locking the doors for fear of theft is outrageous. My primary source stated that the company would hold back a week's pay from the employees, therefore they deserved to be stolen from. I also think that Ida and the others were extremely brave in their escape from the factory.
DeleteIt seems crazy how trapped they were inside of this building. If one looks at today's standards, working conditions have come a long way. It was very brilliant of Ida to have covered herself in order to keep her body safe from the flames. It was probably a lucky guess that there were planks to help them across once they got to the roof. Then again, buildings were closer together in this time so she may have even been able to jump to another building.
DeleteI find myself engaged in the same aspects of Tyler's posts that the rest of you made. I am impressed by the ingenuity of those who were able to escape, while also saddened by those who didn't. I also find your observations interesting about the workers being justified to take from the company. One could argue in this instance that these workers were being robbed of their ability to profit from their labor and responded by robbing the company (if they were doing so). This notion often isn't brought out when modern society is quick to label people such as this as thieves. What makes the observation even more interesting is that studies indicate that "happy" or satisfied workers who feel that their work is fulfilling and profitable are typically more productive and loyal to the success of the company.
DeleteAlex Nunn - Interviewer Abe Gordon, Machinist
ReplyDeleteThere were many dangerous circumstances surrounding the factory leading to the fire and the deaths of over 100 people. One danger Abe talks about is the machines were closely put together in rows and columns where one had to walk sideways to maneuver through. The top floor's ground was always oily and was rarely swept. Abe also said that the fire escape outside was unable to be used because it collapsed due to it being rusted too badly. These unsafe conditions contributed to the many preventable deaths in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire.
I didn't know that the machines were this close together and the fire exit fell apart. I'm surprised no one did anything about the terrible conditions, like there not being a fire exit.
DeletePerhaps some of the key reforms to come out of the Progressive era involved safety in workplaces. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire tragically contributed to the coming of these reforms. While these reforms and providing safety can be an extra burden on companies, as well as public institutions, individuals lives and well-being should not come before profit, particularly in a moral democratic society.
DeleteAnna Pidone worked as a forelady at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory on the 9th floor. She survived the fire but had to endure the memories of it for the rest of her life. The fire started when she was on the 9th floor. She ran to the door to try and get out, but it was locked. (The doors were kept locked to prevent stealing) Since no one could get out of the door, women started jumping out the window to avoid being burned to death. She decided not to jump and instead tried to run to the back staircase door. A barrel of oil exploded just as Anna ran by. The factory was one tremendous safety hazard and prevented people from getting out before hours were up. This was the main cause of the 146 deaths. There was no fire escape and all the doors were locked.
ReplyDeleteThe aftermath of the factory fire was a mess. Harris & Blank (the owners of the factory) were put on trial, but they were let off just having to pay 75 dollars a death. None of the survivors were helped by court cases and they did not get justice. Instead of the government helping them ,they had to find help for themselves, which is why many women came together to support and raise money. 30,000 dollars were made Representatives from the Women's Trade Union League, the Workmen's Circle Arbeiter Ring, the Jewish Daily Forward, and the United Hebrew Trades formed the Joint Relief Committee which is where the money came from. No justice was brought upon those responsible and the women were left just as alone as before.
I think Pidone was incredibly brave for not jumping and trying to help herself survive. Even though the oil might be necessary for the factory, I do not think it is such a good idea to keep a barrel of it sitting around. I also love the fact that unions were able to establish themselves after this tragic event. The owners truly did not care about their workers at all.
DeleteI found it ridiculous that the owners of the factory were put on trial and let off by only having to pay $75 per death, which I believe wasn't decided until a few years afterwards. It is crazy to find that none of the victims received any justice after working in such horrible conditions and barely surviving a tragedy that could have been prevented by the owners.
DeleteUnfortunately for these women, it will take later reforms for workers or their families to receive justice in these tragic and very preventable situations.
DeleteDora Appel Skalka worked on the eight floor of the Triangle Shop as a blouse maker. She worked long hours in dangerous conditions and received low wages, of which a week's pay would consistently be held back by the company. The doors to the workrooms were always locked due to fear of theft, and the women had to show their pocketbooks at the end of the day to prove they had not stolen anything. Dora only used the elevators when arriving and leaving, and always worked with her friend Pauline. On the day of the fire, Pauline left early, so Dora began to clean her supplies up as well because they usually did so together. When she was at the door of the dressing room, she heard screaming and turned to see the fire consuming the cutting table next to her station. Dora and a few other girls in the dressing room ran to the Greene St. staircase, but it was closed. The fire escape was also broken. Somehow, a fireman or policeman smashed the locked door to the workroom. Dora and a few others were taken down to the sixth floor, and they eventually made their way to the lobby. They were not allowed out of the building because the bodies of those who jumped from the upper stories were laying in the street outside the door. Dora eventually made it home, and grieved with Pauline over the tragic loss of their coworkers. Dora eventually went back to work in other shops, but was always haunted by the events of March 25, 1911.
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that the employers feared that their employees would take materials, so they decided to lock them in during work hours. The factory seemed to be ill equipped for a tragedy such as this. After reading your response, the similarities between this event and 9/11 are striking. An example of this is how Pauline went home early, while for 9/11 people who were supposed to work took the day off and avoided the tragedy.
DeleteThat is an eery similarity you point out Tyler between the Triangle Factory Fire and 9/11. Circumstance allowed some to survive and others had to choose to jump to their deaths in order to avoid a worse fate. Again, I am amazed at the attitude toward these working women, particularly in terms of holding back wages. Morale must have been low and then this tragedy occurred. Management was worried about workers robbing from them, but they did not seem to mind "robbing" from their workers.
DeleteAccording to the survivor interviews, the circumstances surrounding the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire were miserable. The conditions of the building were extremely poor and unorganized. Health and safety concerns were not addressed adequately which led to the death of 146 factory workers. An interview of Sylvia Kimeldorf, who worked on the 8th floor, states that her floor which she worked on was very crowded with little room to move between machines. She was not aware that a fire escape in the building even existed, which shows how poor the communication was and how little information was passed to the workers. She was paid around $10 for working 6-7 days a week and never once saw the bosses. The owners supposedly never knew the rates paid to workers or even how many workers they had employed. The unorganized practices that they followed made the building unequipped for working. The Triangle building had safety problems serious enough to lead to severe injuries or death. Even after the fire, the owners were not properly punished for keeping workers in such conditions.
ReplyDeleteIt is awful that these women were working in such hazardous conditions. The owners should have cared more for their employees and worked to ensure their safety. Also, the owners should have been punished more considering they were responsible for the inadequate working conditions.
DeleteIt is interesting how uninformed the workers were of the safety precautions and the people in power. The owners clearly did not care about the safety of their workers, nor how much they were paid; as long as the bosses were making money, they were not concerned. In accordance with your article, it seemed that this all could have been avoided if there were better safety conditions and communication.
DeleteBetter safety conditions and communication are now a requirement today. Unfortunately, it took this tragedy and others like it, to bring about the reforms of the Progressive era to do so.
DeleteSarah Friedman Dworetz was a worker on the ninth floor. The workers on the ninth floor did not know of the fire until they tried to leave and smoke filled the room. Girls were climbing over each other to get to the elevator. Many were left behind on the floor and forced to jump on top of the elevator. Dworetz did this, other workers fell on top of her, and she sustained several injuries. She was placed among the dead until she came out of her unconsciousness. Dworetz was bribed to say the building was fireproof, but she refused. Also, the first time she learned of the fire escape was during the interview.
ReplyDeleteThese points that you encountered during your reading of a survivor's report adds to the ways that people got out of the burning building. I found it interesting that the company tried to bribe Sarah to prevent her from leaking the truth about the unsafe practices at the factory. I found it interesting that the workers did not know that there was a fire and it makes me wonder if the owners of the factory cared about their workers, since there was no fire detection equipment. After reading your response, my thought that the owners got off easy is made stronger.
Deletethat must be horrible to lay in a pile of dead bodies after being trampled on top of an elevator.
DeleteYou provide an extraordinary survivor story here, Jon. A woman (Sarah Dworetz) who was thought deceased was fortunate to live and then had the courage to do what's right and refuse a bribe. Exemplary courage.
DeleteSurvivor Interviews informed me a lot about the circumstances surrounding the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire. The fire started late in the day around 5pm and was on a saturday. The amount of workers who had died were 146 out of 500. The reason many lived was because most went home, while others waited for their pay. They wouldn’t pay you at noon, they would pay you after you worked. You had to wait till after your shift ended to get your money on a saturday. Most people went home on saturday without their pay. Dora Maisler talks about the fire and horrifying events that took place. She talks about how the owners would lock the doors because they said people would steal. There were also elevators, two in front and two freight, which is how some people were able to survive, including herself. She said they would’ve went back up, but the cable in the elevator had been burnt and had ripped which sent them falling to the basement, but not to much of a drop to kill anyone. Once out, they had to find a way out of the basement and when they had; once she had gotten out of the building, she had seen a lot of the workers fleeing to their death instead of being burned alive. Workers were as young as 14 years old, and mostly female.
ReplyDeleteThe account you provide by Dora Maisler indicates the tragedy and horror of this event that she must have experienced. It also sounds like she had the courage to want to go back up and rescue others, but was unable to do so. No doubt, the horror and tragedy of this event stayed with her the rest of her life.
DeleteI think that it is interesting how many of the workers lived because they had decided to go home without pay. Had there been more people working until the end of their shift, the casualties potentially could have been much higher. I also think that locking the doors during work hours was unnecessary considering they were not paid until they were done working, so if materials went missing they could hold pay until they were found, which would have been much safer.
ReplyDeleteThis was a horrible traumatic event that not only effected the families of the ones who passed but the other workers. They worked so close knit and most of the workers who were able to get out had to watch there coworkers jump out of the windows. That had to be a horrible thing to watch.
DeleteAs you state, Melanie, the most intense part of trauma is witnessing those you care about perish, sometimes in horrendous circumstances. There is not doubt in my mind that this event profoundly affected the rest of the lives of these survivors.
DeleteThe interview that I read was from Celia Walker Friedman. The was an examiner in the ninth floor for the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory . Her job was to was to look over the work being done and intervene if there was a problem and correct it. On the day of the fire all the clothes were gathered and put in boxes. As Celia saw the flames out the window all of the women began screaming and hollering. It was hard for women to maneuver around the floor because the aisles were too narrow and there were chairs scattered everywhere. Piles of boxes blocked stairways to get out of the floor. Celia was never informed of the fire exit until after the fire. The only way for the women to get out was to jump of get in the elevator. Celia did not get in the elevator and was forced to make a quick decision before the fire engulfed the ninth floor. She saw the large center elevator cable, grabbed it, and jumped. The next thing she remembers is waking up in the hospital. She made it out with minor injuries, a miracle. The Red Cross helped Celia more than her own company did. She received $10 a week for 10 weeks from Red Cross, but nothing from the company that almost took her life.
ReplyDeleteI am always amazed by the careless disregard of employees in these types of works environments. Very typical of factories of the early 1900's (and many still around the world today). Even more sad is the lack of any sense of obligation to the injuries of employees or the families who lost loved one's, due to the negligence of the company.
Delete