March 25, 1911 a massive fire broke out in Asch Building Triangle Waist Company killing

146 employees. Although the fire caused so much tragedy and sorrow, it helped the world see
just how terrible big industries were treating their workers. Companies were taking advantage
of their employees who were for the most part young women and immigrants who came to the
United States seeking a better life for them and their families (Fire article). The workers were
over worked in horrifying work conditions, had no voice for if they spoke out they were sure to
lose their jobs, and were forced to work in dangerous conditions (Fire Article). It was clear
that the owners of the company were taking advantage of them because they were in
desperate need of a job (Fire Article). Through much sacrifice and loss, eventually the real
story of how these large companies were exploiting vulnerable human beings with nowhere
else to go, to save on their bottom line.
Personally, picture seven seemed most compelling to me as the young woman really
stood out. The picture clearly shows loose cloth material above machinery, tight working
quarters, and from the looks of it, terrible ventilation. There appears to be a door on the left
side of the room however, it has materials piled up all around it making escape very difficult if
an emergency were to occur. In the photo you can also see just how young the workers were. A
young girl in the photo who cant be over fourteen years old is diligently working and more
likely than not, she has been working in those conditions since she was twelve. The camera
focuses in on her I feel to emphasize just how young she is. Under the picture there is a
paragraph that states the following. Dark cramped shops made exhausting work still more
difficult and dangerous. Children hired in violation of child labor laws were helped to hide in
large boxes of cloth on the rare occasion when inspectors checked working conditions(Photo 7
of 28). This paragraph backs up my evidence that they were kept in inadequate conditions.
Photos can speak a thousand words, and that is why I believe this is just as powerful as
any diary or second hand account. The picture really captures the emotion of the workers and
tells a story. It also is hard to know if what you are reading is accurate information of it the
writer is telling the truth about what really is happening with this issue. A picture makes you
feel like you are there in the room, lets you judge for yourself and removes bias of some. They
allow you to see they conditions verses having to make up a picture in your head. You can see
what is really happening and that in its own way helps you truly feel the hardships and
emotions of the people in the picture. During this particular time period people were trying to
cover up the fact that people were being forced to work in poor work conditions and that most
of the workers were underage and not legally aloud to be working in such organizations.
Children, rather then being educated or developing further skills are trapped, which in the long
run will eventually have an affect on the nation as a whole. People living in poverty with no
hope or tools to change and make a difference. Exposing these photos exposed the media for
the fraudulent and misleading information and had people demanding change.
I was walking through Washington Square when a puff of smoke issuing from the
factory building caught my eye. I reached the building before the alarm was turned in. I saw
every feature of the tragedy visible from outside the building. I learned a new sound--a more
horrible sound than description can picture. It was the thud of a speeding, living body on a
stone sidewalk (Eye witness at the triangle). These are the words of an eye witness on the day
of the horrific fire. His testimonial although terribly sad to read gave a detailed perspective of
what exactly happened when the fire broke out. Comparing the eye witness testimonial to the
newspaper article All Over In Half an Hour the information given is very similar. They both
talk about how quickly the fire escalated and how short it lasted. They talk about the heap of
corpses laying on the sidewalk (All over in half an hour). And the fact that most the bodies were
young girls. The newspaper article goes into more detail stating that the workers were over
worked and forced to come in on weekends when other companies did not (All over in an half
hour). Out of the two sources I would say the eye witness testimonial was the better source. He
went into great detail and emotion. You could feel the chaos and terror in this testimonial and
truly understand what was happening during the fire. Although he didnt talk much about the
facts of the fire, how many actually died, how the fire started, the hours the workers had been
putting in and the whole political side of the event he told the story of what was happening in the
now and I believe that paints the more real picture. That helps you understand what was really
happening.

All in all, the overall outcome in the end if these stories can be a positive one from one
stance. It is because of these fires, the leaked pictures and diaries of factory workers, the
exposure to the poor working conditions that led to the civil working rights and the working
condition standards you see today in the United States. Modern society has learned from the pass
and now have established protocols and checks and balances to ensure all standards are met.
Also, because labor is the most expensive cost of any business owner the hiring trend changed
from rather seeing any employee as just another set of hands, they invest and grow them within
the company. It is heart wrenching to read the stories, but it makes me grateful for the society
that I live in today.

Works Cited

"All over in an Half an Hour." Cornell University. Kheel Center, 2017. Web.

"Eye Witness at the Triangle." Cornell University. Kheel Center, 2017. Web.

"Fire!" Cornell University. Kheel Center, 2017. Web.

"Workers & Working Conditions photo 7 0f 28." Cornell University. Kheel Center, 2017. Web.