Triangle Shirtwaist Fire Victim. According to information on her death certificate, Anna immigrated to the United States around 1901. On May 20, 1906, she married Francesco Ardito and they welcomed their first child, a boy named after his father, on February 8, 1907. Their marriage certificate lists Anna's place of birth as Casamassima in Southern Italy. In the next few years, another child joined their family and by 1911, 24 year old Anna and her younger sister, Antonietta, were garment workers at the Triangle Waist Company on the 9th floor of the Asch Building in New York City.
The company made women's blouses, known as "waists" or "shirtwaists", and it's workers were mostly recent immigrant German, Italian and European Jewish girls, some as young as 13 years old, although older women and men and young boys were also represented. Their working conditions were far from safe. They worked 14 hour shifts among heaps of flammable bolts of fabric, scraps of which piled up in bins, baskets and on the floor around them; tissue paper patterns hung from racks above their worktables. The workrooms were lit by open flame gas lamps and the cutters, mostly men, were allowed to smoke as they worked. Brought on by a New York garment workers strike in 1910, many had joined the fledgling International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. At the conclusion of the strike, most companies had signed agreements with the union improving working conditions. The Triangle Company, however, refused to sign and was under no obligation to abide by established safety rules.
On March 25, 1911, around 4:30pm, fire broke out on the 8th floor. Most on that floor and the executives on the 10th floor were able to escape, but workers on the 9th floor, who had not been alerted to the fire, found themselves trapped. Of the four 9th floor exits, the elevator was commandeered by 8th floor workers and then stopped working altogether, one stairwell door was soon blocked by fire and smoke, the other stairwell door had been locked (although denied by the owners in the trial held after, it was a common practice to lock factory workers in to prevent them from stealing) and the only fire escape proved too flimsy and collapsed under the weight of the escaping workers. Many died from being overcome by the smoke and flames quickly filling the building, but 62 of the workers realized there were no other means of escape and jumped from the windows to the pavement 9 stories below. Although the fire department responded quickly, the water from their hoses would not reach the top floors and ladders of the time were unable to reach above the 6th floor. By the time the fire was extinguished, 141 people had lost their lives. In the next few days, 5 more would die from their injuries.
From her documented injuries and cause of death, Anna was overcome by the smoke and flames and never escaped the burning building. Her injuries were probably very severe as her body was one of the last to be identified. Francesco was finally able to claim his wife's remains on April 1. Given the discrepancies of record transcription of the time, I believe Anna and Antonietta, one of nine pairs of siblings to die in the fire, appear as Case #4 in the Final Report of the Relief Committee: "A married woman 24 years old and her sister of 20 were killed. Her husband and two little children and an unmarried brother of 18 were the rest of the family, and a relative and his wife shared their four rooms. A married sister in the same house took care of the children during the day. The two sisters had sent money to their parents in Italy, investigation by the Italian Consul-General showing that the mother was an invalid, that the younger girl had come to New York in order to help her parents, and that the two together had sent over $500.00 in the two years before the fire. The husband was able-bodied and could earn $12.00 a week as tailor. Funeral expenses were paid; temporary help was given to the family here; $50.00 was given them immediately to send to Italy, which we learned later had not been sent but had been "used for the baby"; $50.00 more was given for Italy, which was sent; and $650.00 in all was sent to the parents through the Italian Consul-General. In October the husband protested against the decision of the Committee in having given money to the parents in Italy rather than to him."
The public outrage and subsequent acquittal of the company's owners following the tragedy paved the way for a flood of legislation to improve factory safety standards, led to the founding of The American Society of Safety Engineers and hastened the growth and clout of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. A bystander who witnessed the young girls jumping from the windows was inspired to a life of public service fighting for the rights of factory workers; Frances Perkins went on to become the first woman appointed to a Presidential Cabinet position as Franklin Roosevelt's Secretary of Labor. The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire was the single worst workplace disaster in New York City until the attack on the World Trade Center in 2001.
The company made women's blouses, known as "waists" or "shirtwaists", and it's workers were mostly recent immigrant German, Italian and European Jewish girls, some as young as 13 years old, although older women and men and young boys were also represented. Their working conditions were far from safe. They worked 14 hour shifts among heaps of flammable bolts of fabric, scraps of which piled up in bins, baskets and on the floor around them; tissue paper patterns hung from racks above their worktables. The workrooms were lit by open flame gas lamps and the cutters, mostly men, were allowed to smoke as they worked. Brought on by a New York garment workers strike in 1910, many had joined the fledgling International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. At the conclusion of the strike, most companies had signed agreements with the union improving working conditions. The Triangle Company, however, refused to sign and was under no obligation to abide by established safety rules.
On March 25, 1911, around 4:30pm, fire broke out on the 8th floor. Most on that floor and the executives on the 10th floor were able to escape, but workers on the 9th floor, who had not been alerted to the fire, found themselves trapped. Of the four 9th floor exits, the elevator was commandeered by 8th floor workers and then stopped working altogether, one stairwell door was soon blocked by fire and smoke, the other stairwell door had been locked (although denied by the owners in the trial held after, it was a common practice to lock factory workers in to prevent them from stealing) and the only fire escape proved too flimsy and collapsed under the weight of the escaping workers. Many died from being overcome by the smoke and flames quickly filling the building, but 62 of the workers realized there were no other means of escape and jumped from the windows to the pavement 9 stories below. Although the fire department responded quickly, the water from their hoses would not reach the top floors and ladders of the time were unable to reach above the 6th floor. By the time the fire was extinguished, 141 people had lost their lives. In the next few days, 5 more would die from their injuries.
From her documented injuries and cause of death, Anna was overcome by the smoke and flames and never escaped the burning building. Her injuries were probably very severe as her body was one of the last to be identified. Francesco was finally able to claim his wife's remains on April 1. Given the discrepancies of record transcription of the time, I believe Anna and Antonietta, one of nine pairs of siblings to die in the fire, appear as Case #4 in the Final Report of the Relief Committee: "A married woman 24 years old and her sister of 20 were killed. Her husband and two little children and an unmarried brother of 18 were the rest of the family, and a relative and his wife shared their four rooms. A married sister in the same house took care of the children during the day. The two sisters had sent money to their parents in Italy, investigation by the Italian Consul-General showing that the mother was an invalid, that the younger girl had come to New York in order to help her parents, and that the two together had sent over $500.00 in the two years before the fire. The husband was able-bodied and could earn $12.00 a week as tailor. Funeral expenses were paid; temporary help was given to the family here; $50.00 was given them immediately to send to Italy, which we learned later had not been sent but had been "used for the baby"; $50.00 more was given for Italy, which was sent; and $650.00 in all was sent to the parents through the Italian Consul-General. In October the husband protested against the decision of the Committee in having given money to the parents in Italy rather than to him."
The public outrage and subsequent acquittal of the company's owners following the tragedy paved the way for a flood of legislation to improve factory safety standards, led to the founding of The American Society of Safety Engineers and hastened the growth and clout of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. A bystander who witnessed the young girls jumping from the windows was inspired to a life of public service fighting for the rights of factory workers; Frances Perkins went on to become the first woman appointed to a Presidential Cabinet position as Franklin Roosevelt's Secretary of Labor. The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire was the single worst workplace disaster in New York City until the attack on the World Trade Center in 2001.
Triangle Shirtwaist Fire Victim. According to information on her death certificate, Anna immigrated to the United States around 1901. On May 20, 1906, she married Francesco Ardito and they welcomed their first child, a boy named after his father, on February 8, 1907. Their marriage certificate lists Anna's place of birth as Casamassima in Southern Italy. In the next few years, another child joined their family and by 1911, 24 year old Anna and her younger sister, Antonietta, were garment workers at the Triangle Waist Company on the 9th floor of the Asch Building in New York City.
The company made women's blouses, known as "waists" or "shirtwaists", and it's workers were mostly recent immigrant German, Italian and European Jewish girls, some as young as 13 years old, although older women and men and young boys were also represented. Their working conditions were far from safe. They worked 14 hour shifts among heaps of flammable bolts of fabric, scraps of which piled up in bins, baskets and on the floor around them; tissue paper patterns hung from racks above their worktables. The workrooms were lit by open flame gas lamps and the cutters, mostly men, were allowed to smoke as they worked. Brought on by a New York garment workers strike in 1910, many had joined the fledgling International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. At the conclusion of the strike, most companies had signed agreements with the union improving working conditions. The Triangle Company, however, refused to sign and was under no obligation to abide by established safety rules.
On March 25, 1911, around 4:30pm, fire broke out on the 8th floor. Most on that floor and the executives on the 10th floor were able to escape, but workers on the 9th floor, who had not been alerted to the fire, found themselves trapped. Of the four 9th floor exits, the elevator was commandeered by 8th floor workers and then stopped working altogether, one stairwell door was soon blocked by fire and smoke, the other stairwell door had been locked (although denied by the owners in the trial held after, it was a common practice to lock factory workers in to prevent them from stealing) and the only fire escape proved too flimsy and collapsed under the weight of the escaping workers. Many died from being overcome by the smoke and flames quickly filling the building, but 62 of the workers realized there were no other means of escape and jumped from the windows to the pavement 9 stories below. Although the fire department responded quickly, the water from their hoses would not reach the top floors and ladders of the time were unable to reach above the 6th floor. By the time the fire was extinguished, 141 people had lost their lives. In the next few days, 5 more would die from their injuries.
From her documented injuries and cause of death, Anna was overcome by the smoke and flames and never escaped the burning building. Her injuries were probably very severe as her body was one of the last to be identified. Francesco was finally able to claim his wife's remains on April 1. Given the discrepancies of record transcription of the time, I believe Anna and Antonietta, one of nine pairs of siblings to die in the fire, appear as Case #4 in the Final Report of the Relief Committee: "A married woman 24 years old and her sister of 20 were killed. Her husband and two little children and an unmarried brother of 18 were the rest of the family, and a relative and his wife shared their four rooms. A married sister in the same house took care of the children during the day. The two sisters had sent money to their parents in Italy, investigation by the Italian Consul-General showing that the mother was an invalid, that the younger girl had come to New York in order to help her parents, and that the two together had sent over $500.00 in the two years before the fire. The husband was able-bodied and could earn $12.00 a week as tailor. Funeral expenses were paid; temporary help was given to the family here; $50.00 was given them immediately to send to Italy, which we learned later had not been sent but had been "used for the baby"; $50.00 more was given for Italy, which was sent; and $650.00 in all was sent to the parents through the Italian Consul-General. In October the husband protested against the decision of the Committee in having given money to the parents in Italy rather than to him."
The public outrage and subsequent acquittal of the company's owners following the tragedy paved the way for a flood of legislation to improve factory safety standards, led to the founding of The American Society of Safety Engineers and hastened the growth and clout of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. A bystander who witnessed the young girls jumping from the windows was inspired to a life of public service fighting for the rights of factory workers; Frances Perkins went on to become the first woman appointed to a Presidential Cabinet position as Franklin Roosevelt's Secretary of Labor. The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire was the single worst workplace disaster in New York City until the attack on the World Trade Center in 2001.
The company made women's blouses, known as "waists" or "shirtwaists", and it's workers were mostly recent immigrant German, Italian and European Jewish girls, some as young as 13 years old, although older women and men and young boys were also represented. Their working conditions were far from safe. They worked 14 hour shifts among heaps of flammable bolts of fabric, scraps of which piled up in bins, baskets and on the floor around them; tissue paper patterns hung from racks above their worktables. The workrooms were lit by open flame gas lamps and the cutters, mostly men, were allowed to smoke as they worked. Brought on by a New York garment workers strike in 1910, many had joined the fledgling International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. At the conclusion of the strike, most companies had signed agreements with the union improving working conditions. The Triangle Company, however, refused to sign and was under no obligation to abide by established safety rules.
On March 25, 1911, around 4:30pm, fire broke out on the 8th floor. Most on that floor and the executives on the 10th floor were able to escape, but workers on the 9th floor, who had not been alerted to the fire, found themselves trapped. Of the four 9th floor exits, the elevator was commandeered by 8th floor workers and then stopped working altogether, one stairwell door was soon blocked by fire and smoke, the other stairwell door had been locked (although denied by the owners in the trial held after, it was a common practice to lock factory workers in to prevent them from stealing) and the only fire escape proved too flimsy and collapsed under the weight of the escaping workers. Many died from being overcome by the smoke and flames quickly filling the building, but 62 of the workers realized there were no other means of escape and jumped from the windows to the pavement 9 stories below. Although the fire department responded quickly, the water from their hoses would not reach the top floors and ladders of the time were unable to reach above the 6th floor. By the time the fire was extinguished, 141 people had lost their lives. In the next few days, 5 more would die from their injuries.
From her documented injuries and cause of death, Anna was overcome by the smoke and flames and never escaped the burning building. Her injuries were probably very severe as her body was one of the last to be identified. Francesco was finally able to claim his wife's remains on April 1. Given the discrepancies of record transcription of the time, I believe Anna and Antonietta, one of nine pairs of siblings to die in the fire, appear as Case #4 in the Final Report of the Relief Committee: "A married woman 24 years old and her sister of 20 were killed. Her husband and two little children and an unmarried brother of 18 were the rest of the family, and a relative and his wife shared their four rooms. A married sister in the same house took care of the children during the day. The two sisters had sent money to their parents in Italy, investigation by the Italian Consul-General showing that the mother was an invalid, that the younger girl had come to New York in order to help her parents, and that the two together had sent over $500.00 in the two years before the fire. The husband was able-bodied and could earn $12.00 a week as tailor. Funeral expenses were paid; temporary help was given to the family here; $50.00 was given them immediately to send to Italy, which we learned later had not been sent but had been "used for the baby"; $50.00 more was given for Italy, which was sent; and $650.00 in all was sent to the parents through the Italian Consul-General. In October the husband protested against the decision of the Committee in having given money to the parents in Italy rather than to him."
The public outrage and subsequent acquittal of the company's owners following the tragedy paved the way for a flood of legislation to improve factory safety standards, led to the founding of The American Society of Safety Engineers and hastened the growth and clout of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. A bystander who witnessed the young girls jumping from the windows was inspired to a life of public service fighting for the rights of factory workers; Frances Perkins went on to become the first woman appointed to a Presidential Cabinet position as Franklin Roosevelt's Secretary of Labor. The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire was the single worst workplace disaster in New York City until the attack on the World Trade Center in 2001.
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