Triangle: Remembering the Fire

A short documentary from HBO films. 129 women and 17 men died in a clothing factory in 1911. They died for several reasons - the fire escape was too narrow for everyone to fit (not required to be wider), the fire escape doors opened out to the stairs and not in to the room which means they were blocked by people exited (not required to open a certain way), there had been no practice fire drills (not required), there were no sprinklers even though they had been invented and would lower your insurance rates (not required), the operator on the 8th floor where the fire started warned the 10th floor people but not the 9th floor people, doors on one side of building where locked because the owners wanted everyone to exit where security could check their belongs (not unlocked when fire started), and the floors were crowded (not required to spread things out). The elevator made about 16 trips to help women escape the 9th floor, but soon workers were throwing themselves down the elevetor shaft to escape the fire and this causes the elevator to break. When the exits where blocked many stood on the small ledges outside the windows hoping the firemen would get them - the fire ladders stopped at the 6th floor - they were too short. So, women started jumping off the buildings. This documentary had present day relatives of those who died detailing what their family went through - workers, owners, and government. There were a lot of photographs and newspaper articles to add to the storytelling. It was hard to watch, but relevant to what goes on around the world today. Instead of New York City in 1911 think Bangladesh in 2012. All in all, I say: SEE IT - I have studied the labor movements of the Progressive Era, but never knew this had happened. Those who died are still celebrated and mourned to this day.