Triangle Shirtwaist Fire Victim. Although his name is variously listed as Benowitz, Benowich and Robinowitz, we know that in 1911, Abraham was working as an inside contractor at the Triangle Waist Company located in 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, 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 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. Although many of the workers had joined the fledgling International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, the Triangle Company refused to sign any agreement and was under no obligation to abide by established union 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. Or worse, they were pushed toward the open windows by the panicked crowd and had no choice. 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 his documented injuries and cause of death, Abraham chose to jump. I believe he can be identified as Case #149 in the April 1912 Final Report of the Red Cross Emergency Relief Committee: "An unmarried man 30 years old was killed. He was a contractor, making $27.00 to $30.00 a week. He lived with a step-brother. He had several older brothers and sisters (self-supporting) in Russia, and one younger brother, a cripple, whom he was said to support. He left a bank account of $195.00. The step-brother intended to send to the brother in Russia all that was left of this after meeting the funeral expenses, which in the Jewish families were generally small. He stated that through his lawyer he had placed the matter in the hands of the Russian Consul. No request for aid has been received from any source."
According to testimony given by a survivor at the Triangle owners' trial, Abraham was last seen struggling to open the locked stairwell door. His body was indentified on March 26. A New York Times article appearing on March 27, 1911 contains this mention: "Abraham Robinowitz was one of those who jumped from the eighth floor…. He was to have been married next week to Miss Minnie Greenberg of 369 Watkins Street and it was she who identified his body."
The public outrage following the tragedy and subsequent acquittal of the company's owners 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, 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 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. Although many of the workers had joined the fledgling International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, the Triangle Company refused to sign any agreement and was under no obligation to abide by established union 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. Or worse, they were pushed toward the open windows by the panicked crowd and had no choice. 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 his documented injuries and cause of death, Abraham chose to jump. I believe he can be identified as Case #149 in the April 1912 Final Report of the Red Cross Emergency Relief Committee: "An unmarried man 30 years old was killed. He was a contractor, making $27.00 to $30.00 a week. He lived with a step-brother. He had several older brothers and sisters (self-supporting) in Russia, and one younger brother, a cripple, whom he was said to support. He left a bank account of $195.00. The step-brother intended to send to the brother in Russia all that was left of this after meeting the funeral expenses, which in the Jewish families were generally small. He stated that through his lawyer he had placed the matter in the hands of the Russian Consul. No request for aid has been received from any source."
According to testimony given by a survivor at the Triangle owners' trial, Abraham was last seen struggling to open the locked stairwell door. His body was indentified on March 26. A New York Times article appearing on March 27, 1911 contains this mention: "Abraham Robinowitz was one of those who jumped from the eighth floor…. He was to have been married next week to Miss Minnie Greenberg of 369 Watkins Street and it was she who identified his body."
The public outrage following the tragedy and subsequent acquittal of the company's owners 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. Although his name is variously listed as Benowitz, Benowich and Robinowitz, we know that in 1911, Abraham was working as an inside contractor at the Triangle Waist Company located in 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, 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 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. Although many of the workers had joined the fledgling International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, the Triangle Company refused to sign any agreement and was under no obligation to abide by established union 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. Or worse, they were pushed toward the open windows by the panicked crowd and had no choice. 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 his documented injuries and cause of death, Abraham chose to jump. I believe he can be identified as Case #149 in the April 1912 Final Report of the Red Cross Emergency Relief Committee: "An unmarried man 30 years old was killed. He was a contractor, making $27.00 to $30.00 a week. He lived with a step-brother. He had several older brothers and sisters (self-supporting) in Russia, and one younger brother, a cripple, whom he was said to support. He left a bank account of $195.00. The step-brother intended to send to the brother in Russia all that was left of this after meeting the funeral expenses, which in the Jewish families were generally small. He stated that through his lawyer he had placed the matter in the hands of the Russian Consul. No request for aid has been received from any source."
According to testimony given by a survivor at the Triangle owners' trial, Abraham was last seen struggling to open the locked stairwell door. His body was indentified on March 26. A New York Times article appearing on March 27, 1911 contains this mention: "Abraham Robinowitz was one of those who jumped from the eighth floor…. He was to have been married next week to Miss Minnie Greenberg of 369 Watkins Street and it was she who identified his body."
The public outrage following the tragedy and subsequent acquittal of the company's owners 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, 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 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. Although many of the workers had joined the fledgling International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, the Triangle Company refused to sign any agreement and was under no obligation to abide by established union 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. Or worse, they were pushed toward the open windows by the panicked crowd and had no choice. 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 his documented injuries and cause of death, Abraham chose to jump. I believe he can be identified as Case #149 in the April 1912 Final Report of the Red Cross Emergency Relief Committee: "An unmarried man 30 years old was killed. He was a contractor, making $27.00 to $30.00 a week. He lived with a step-brother. He had several older brothers and sisters (self-supporting) in Russia, and one younger brother, a cripple, whom he was said to support. He left a bank account of $195.00. The step-brother intended to send to the brother in Russia all that was left of this after meeting the funeral expenses, which in the Jewish families were generally small. He stated that through his lawyer he had placed the matter in the hands of the Russian Consul. No request for aid has been received from any source."
According to testimony given by a survivor at the Triangle owners' trial, Abraham was last seen struggling to open the locked stairwell door. His body was indentified on March 26. A New York Times article appearing on March 27, 1911 contains this mention: "Abraham Robinowitz was one of those who jumped from the eighth floor…. He was to have been married next week to Miss Minnie Greenberg of 369 Watkins Street and it was she who identified his body."
The public outrage following the tragedy and subsequent acquittal of the company's owners 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.
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
