USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -The fire was so horrific it shocked the conscience of New Yorkers and others across the nation and, ultimately, led to changes in safety regulations and more diligent efforts to enforce them.

Detailed explanation-2: -The blaze, the Fire Marshal would later determine, was likely caused by a smoldering cigarette butt or match that had fallen into a bin full of fabric scraps and tissue paper. Smoking was forbidden in the factory, but the employees were known to sneak cigarettes.

Detailed explanation-3: -Workers in the factory, many of whom were young women recently arrived from Europe, had little time or opportunity to escape. The rapidly spreading fire killed 146 workers. The building had only one fire escape, which collapsed during the rescue effort. Long tables and bulky machines trapped many of the victims.

Detailed explanation-4: -In October 1911, New York passed the Sullivan-Hoey Fire Prevention Law in response to the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. It required factory owners to install sprinkler systems, established the New York City Fire Prevention Bureau, and expanded the powers of the fire commissioner.

Detailed explanation-5: -Years before the Triangle fire, garment workers actively sought to improve their working conditions-including locked exits in high-rise buildings-that led to the deaths at Triangle. In fall 1909, as factory owners pressed shirtwaist makers to work longer hours for less money, several hundred workers went on strike.