New York, 1898-1918: The Power and the People - Video - Films On Demand

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• At 5:05, a laborer named Dominic Cardiani, pushing his wheelbarrow down Green Street, heard a muffled explosion, followed by the sound of breaking glass. Glancing up, he saw what he thought were dark bundles of clothes sailing from an eight-floor window. You know, you can hardly believe it when you read about it.

• A few months later, the owners of the Triangle Factory, Isaac Harris and Max Blanck, were tried for manslaughter, having locked their workers in.

• But now, something extraordinary began to occur.

• The resulting flood of legislation, one man later said, was "nothing less than epoch-making"-- Landmark laws affecting not only fire protection, but every aspect of factory life. Landowners would now be required to provide enclosed staircases, fire sprinklers, and adequate lighting, ventilation, and washrooms.