alothman1
Name ahmad alothman
Course con e
Date 10/12/2017
Triangle: The Fire That Changed America, David von Drehle,
alothman2
Triangle: The fire that changed America
David Von Drehle wrote the book, TRIANGLE the fire that changed America; it was set
in the New York City in the Greenwich College. The story provided the detailed life of the
immigrant in the early 1900s, the strike of the workers, the corrupt political structure of the time,
several eyewitness for the tragedy that led to loss of 146 people, lack of safety measures that
could have saved the people, the consequence trial that tried to bring those responsible for
disaster to justice as well as the political changes and standards of workers that were
implemented as a result of incidence. The books start by describing the participants in the
garments. The arrival of immigrant to America was not the way they expected. They thought of
America as a “Golden Land”.
Drehle described the steward class journey and various route that could have been taken.
The unsanitary condition and believe that women should share rooms with men together with the
humiliation of having the ship crew. When the immigrants arrived at the shores, Drehle gives an
account on possible challenges they experienced as they passed via Ellis Island. He referred to
them as ‘Greenhorns’. Following their successful Journey, they wanted to find employment at
the pig market. As a result of an increase in cheap labor, the companies became less concern
with the welfare of the workers since they could easily replace them. Most of the immigrants
resided in tenement houses on the lower east side. The houses were usually overcrowded and
were poorly ventilated which exposed them to various diseases.
Von Drehle was much interested in reporting the fire. He takes his reader’s through the
tragedy that broke out on March 25, 1911, at Triangle Waist Company, one of the biggest blouse
factory in New York City. The fire left 146 people dead of which 123 of them were women. The
employers of the company were afraid of theft more than fire and ensured that exit doors
remained closed. Drehle illustrate that ‘’they were rich men, and when they glanced into the
faces of their workers, they saw, with rare exceptions, anonymous cogs in a profit machine.”
(Drehle) Women gossiped as they get checked on their way out and stood in line at the narrow
exists. The owners of the company Isaac Harris and Max Blanck ensured that the bags of the
employees are examined before they are allowed to leave the elevator or the stairs
alothman3
The fire started on the eighth floor, and it is believed that cigarette caused the fire.
Within few minutes, the fire spread so fast in floors. The flames of fire spread quickly which
made people suffocate from smoke. There were only one exit that could not support all the
crowd trapped in the building. On the other side, those who tried rickety died when it collapsed.
People piled up on the eight floor when the manager unlocked the door since no one had access
to the ninth floor. Everyone was desperate to save his or her life as the fire inferno spread the
entire. However, it was too late for some individuals as they got tapped in the fire.
Majority of women who died were new young immigrants who had come to look for job
opportunity in America. Some were from Italy while others Eastern Europe. ‘’women were
underpaid and overworked, but also independent, resolute and free thinking.’’(drehle, p. 66)
They used to work for long hours under poor working conditions. The owners used to pay
employees low wages; this shows that they cared less about their workers and paid no attention
to their complaints. They were more concerned with ensuring the product are produced properly
with better utilization of the available resources. They made sure that there was no wastage of
resources in the factory. For instance,” “Blanck and Harris could be found striding through the
Triangle factory, watching to see that the cutters were conserving cloth, that the machine
operators had steady supply of pieces to work on, that the stitches were even, and the buttons
were snug, that the finished blouses were consistently sized” (Drehle, p. 37). The owners of the
company were both immigrants who were born in Russia but migrated to the United States
where they became the successful businessmen. People thought that they would care for their
fellow immigrants, but this was not the case.
Sweatshops were common jobs that were available for new immigrants in the New York
City. Women used to work there to get adequate funds to support their families. For instance,
sweatshop in the 1800’s were “generally dim and claustrophobic tenement rooms where
independent contractors “sweated greenhorns- that is, the newest immigrants- by working them
more and more hours for less and less pay” (Drehle, p. 38). Workers were not treated as normal
human beings but were rather as slaves who worked on the needles, sewing machines and irons.
The average working hours were about eighty-four hours every week during the low peak. The
workers were concentrated in small rooms where there were hot irons, sick people and no fresh
air and were expected to finish their task within 12 hours in the day. Nonetheless, there were not
alothman4
guaranteed of payment after work as the employers used to deduct their pay for the minor
mistake. Mostly, the money paid to the employees could only pay the rent and other small
services.
Workers used to strike with an attempt to stop the poor working conditions, but their
complaints were not addressed until the incidence that happened at Triangle Shirt Waist
Company Factory fire. Following the impact, the government realized the conditions that
employees were exposed to by companies. After the trial, the law was implemented that ensured
that workers were protected from poor working conditions. Drehle writes vividly regarding the
incidence, even though industrial accident were common in the city, the tragedy of fire in
Triangle horrified majority of people in the United States and thousands of people participated in
burial ceremony for the dead. The powerful democratic movements that ruled the New York
City at the moment gave their best to the factory investing commission. The activists Robert
Wagner and Al Smith pushed hard for the implementation of work safety legislation. The laws
helped to improve the conditions of other employees in the New York State
Drehle blames the political and social background conditions in the American society that
made the tragedy inevitable. He described the situations how the tragedy emerged and successful
push for the reforms (Von Drehle 55). He described the heap of bodies that were dispersed
everywhere, the row of caskets where people identified the bodies of their relatives by jewellery
or other items and ways in which the owner of the company was held responsible for the deaths
that occurred. Von Drehke contribution towards equal social justice and humanity for victims
played an essential role in the American labor history of life.
Another important individual in the text is the lawyer who represented the owners during
the entire trial Max Steuer; he is not well-known attorney general like his counterpart Clarence
Darrow because of one reason, Unlike Darrow, Steuer represented the only client who was able
to pay a substantial amount of money. In the incidence of Triangle fire, it believed that he
demanded $10000 per man in order to represent them fully in the trial. However, due to their
unique strategies and calculations, they were not found guilty of the act. Similar to the Simpson
case, the society was outraged. Even though both defendants were not found guilty, they had to
be protected due to angry crowd that wanted to have them jailed. While the verdict of the court
was against the will of the people, the 146 victims did not die in vain. The tragedy led to the
alothman5
development of fire prevention legislation, the worker's compensation acts, international workers
union and family inspection laws in the United States and other parts of the world.
Nonetheless, the reaction to Triangle fire tragedy become the talk in the town which led
to development of various reforms to protect workers from ruthless employees. Additionally,
Drehle illustrated the principal players in the city including Charles Whiteman and Tammany
Hall boss who passed the employee's protection rights in 1912. Besides, the author was able to
put together the lives and aspirations of affected victims.
Based on Drehle’s view, the tragic fire played an important role in the American history.
The labor movement and factory fire led to the transformation of political machinery in New
York. To create insight to the readers, the author presents the history with an investigative report.
For instance, the book describes the New Yorkers referred to as Misery Lane where people
crowded in the morgue trying to look for the remains of their loved ones. The aspect of
immediacy in the opening paragraphs is maintained throughout the text to address all the
complaints.
Furthermore, the book shows Drehle’s narrative style. “The spirit of the Age” that starts
with the unique statements where Charles Rose had been hired by the Tammany Hall to silence
and punish woman who was behind the international workers Union. The victim was known as
Clara Lemlich. Furthermore, Drehle continues illustrating the life of Lemlich since she was the
main instrumental in pro-labour activities and represents the many women who campaigned for
the right of women, use of government to solve social problems and the rise of the unions. The
Lemlich family consisted of many sisters who were employed in the industry that mistreated
them and a lot of injustices. Lemlich was among the top who fought the justice before the
Triangle factory fire. According to Drehle, “American history needs to recognize how this force
of women changed America” (Drehle, p 67)
Nonetheless, during the 1900s, death was considered as usual workplace problems. Every
occupation had its own negative consequence. Many organizations did not care about the health
of the workers. “Mines collapsed on them, ships sank under them, pots of molten steel spilt over
their heads, locomotives smashed into them, and exposed machinery grabbed them by the arm or
leg or hair and pulled them in.” (Drehle 3). Just few months before the tragedy of fire occurred,
xa total number of 25 people had been killed. There was increased insecurity in most of the
alothman6
organizations. This signified that no one bothered with conditions of the workers and most of
them were left suffer from poor working conditions.
Drehle examines individuals who were affected. For instance, the owners, workers,
lawyers and political leaders. Astonishingly, all came from immigrant and immigrant descendant
society in the New York City particularly the European and the Jewish population from Italy.
The number of deaths could have been reduced if there were planned fire drills in the building
and accessible fire escape routes. Drehle points out that most of the escape route had been locked
for fear of theft.
The employees had to be checked before they leave the organization Furthermore if the
owners of the building had made it mandatory that the workers should get familiar with every
part of the organization, the tragedy could have been minimized. The primary cause of death was
due to poor fire planning and ignorance from those concerned. This made some people to believe
that the cause of the fire was politically motivated. Von Drexler’s description of Tammany
change demonstrates the most mistreated times in the history of America. Even though the fire
was the defining moment for Tammany Hall, there were need for reforms in the United States.
alothman7
Works Cited
Von Drehle, David. Triangle: The fire that changed America. Grove Press, 2004.
CON E 101 Construction and Culture
Fall 2017
GROUP BOOK REPORT ASSIGNMENT
Part 2
You are assigned to a group in which one person has read each of at least three of the four
books from the individual report. With your group, develop answers to the following questions
and provide in a short report. Your report should read as a SINGLE report, NOT as a
combination of reports from different people. You will have to work together to develop a
consistent format and voice for the final submission.
1. Summarize, in a total of no more than one page, the (key) events described in the four
books. Summarize a comparison of the events by completing the following table. This
table should be included in the report. Highlight important similarities and differences
in text that accompanies and references this table.
Location of
Structure (s)
Time Period of
Construction,
Fire
Impacts of the Fire
Most important
factors that led to the
fire and the loss of life
2. Compare and contrast the ways in which structures failed as a result of the disasters.
These disasters occur over a long period in the 1900’s. Do you think that there is
evidence from one to the next that the built environment is improving, or that people
otherwise learned lessons from the earlier fires to make the built environment better
support people surviving the disaster? You are encouraged to think broadly about this
question, including issues such as escape routes, beyond simply the details of
construction.
3. Compare and contrast the impact of other factors on the affected locations (such as
bad luck, location, current events, political systems, etc. – things other than the way the
places were built).
4. Compare and contrast the ways in which the built environment influenced survival in
POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE ways? You can work from your answers to these
questions in your individual reports (be specific, and argue from evidence)
5. In what SPECIFIC ways do you think things would be different if the same disaster
struck today? In other words, do you think we have learned anything?
CON E 101 Construction and Culture
Fall 2017
NOTES ON GROUP FUNCTION:
Your group will have the following deliverables:
1. SUMMARY of your plan for completing the work and an OUTLINE for the report. DUE
IN CLASS 11/08. Your plan should list specific assignments for individual members of the
group. For each section, you should have one or two people responsible for drafting the
section, and one or two responsible for reviewing. Each person MUST have sole responsibility
for reviewing or drafting at least one section, and no person may participate in both parts for a
single section. Your OUTLINE should provide a detailed breakdown of the sections, with
specific points to be made and supporting arguments and facts. It should be developed and
reviewed by the same parties outlined above.
2. REPORT DRAFT DUE IN CLASS 11/20. This should be a draft version of the report. It
may not be complete by this time, but holes requiring more work should be identified, and the
logic of your report should be clear.
3. THE FINAL REPORT will be due AT THE BEGINNING OF CLASS on MONDAY
12/04. I expect a professional report in the range of 7 to 10 pages (not counting any front or
back matter). Number your pages. ONLY the content pages should be numbered, starting with
the page 1. You should use space-and-a half, 12 point font, 1 inch margins all around. If I
suspect that your report does not represent all members, I may ask you to turn in markups from
each person in a group with edits of the next-to-last version. Therefore, you should keep those
until grades are returned.
4. A SURVEY of your group will be conducted at the end of the process. The survey will take
place in class and will be mandatory (date to be announced). Grades will be assigned based on
a combination of the group performance and the balance of the group’s assessment of your
individual performance. Part of the survey will include questions regarding your personal
familiarity with ALL aspects of the group’s conclusions. No grade will be assigned to the
members of the group until all surveys completed.
CON E 101 Construction and Culture
Fall 2017
CON E 101 Group Book Report
Grading Feedback Form
Fall 2017
Grade
Category
Critical Characteristics
A
90 above
•
•
•
•
B
80-89
•
•
C
70-79
•
•
•
D
60-69
•
•
F
59 below
•
Interesting
Connects to concepts from
the class in new ways,
original examples
Evidences interest in the
subject, additional research
used to make points
Answered
Guiding
Questions
All are answered
clearly and well.
Table is present
and referenced.
Organization
Spelling and
Grammar
Format Issues
Well organized and
clear. TOC provided.
Only one or
two errors.
Used indicated
format.
Harmonized
into a single
voice.
Sources cited in
appropriate
bibliographic
format.
Used indicated
format
Synthesized so that
items are organized by
arguments made, with
fires as examples
to bolster those
arguments, NOT fire by
fire.
Relates to ideas from
classroom
Some evidence of effort to
combine concepts from
multiple books, but
relatively shallow
observations.
All are answered
clearly and well.
Table is present
and referenced.
Find things easily.
Rare errors
Synthesized so that
items are organized by
arguments made, with
fires as examples
to bolster those
arguments, NOT fire by
fire.
Mostly
harmonized
into a single
voice.
Little beyond minimum to
answer questions
Boring, shallow
Little to no evidence of
effort made to combine
concepts from multiple
books
Only 2-3
answered well
Possible to find things
Few errors
Some concepts from class,
incomplete
Can still generally follow;
but boring and shallow.
No evidence of
combination of concepts,
just reports glued
Together.
Only 1-2
answered well,
skipped
question(s)
Organized fire by
fire, perhaps with a
brief closing
paragraph to
synthesize.
Difficult to find things.
Multiple
voices, with
some
evidence of
harmonizing.
Many errors
Little evidence of reading
the assignment
Questions not
answered
Comments:
Table is present.
Organized fire by fire, no Multiple
significant synthesis at
voices
all.
No effort to help reader
find things
So many
errors, it is
difficult to
understand
Sources cited in
appropriate
bibliographic
format.
Use indicated
format, but
overlong
Differed in
spacing, font,
length too
short, figures
as filler.
Sources cited
in appropriate
bibliographic
format.
No evidence of
indicated
format
1
CONE 101
BOOK REPORT
FIRE IN THE GROVE
Trevor Bradbury
(818408039)
2
Table of Contents
1. What Book did you read?……..9
2. What Happened in this book?….3-5
3. Can you confirm that the author is accurate….4-5
4. How did the built environment influence survival in positive
and negative ways?….5-6
5. Would a similar structure built today potentially suffer the
same fate?….7
6. Did you like this book?…..7-8
On Saturday night, November 28th, 1942 the worst nightclub fire in history occurred in
the city of Boston, Massachusetts. The fire took place at the formerly gangster operated
3
speakeasy which was transformed into a well respected nightclub called the Coconut Grove. The
Grove was located in Park Square, downtown Boston. Barney Welanksy was the owner of the
exciting nightclub, and he considered it his pride and joy. Barney, former lawyer to the previous
owner of the club, decided to quit his practice, and devote his life towards the Grove once he
gained ownership.
(What Happened in this book?)
The infamous fire occurred on a typical busy weekend night around 10:15 pm. On the
night of the fire, the club was filled to full capacity. The club had 4 bars total and the two main
gathering areas were the main floor and the Melody lounge. The main floor is where people
could sit down to dine and listen to the musician on the big stage. The Melody lounge was a
dark intimate bar room located in the basement of the club, tightly packed with tables and chairs.
The head barman John Bradley of the faintly lit lounge noticed a loose bulb and instructed a
young bar boy to fix it. The sixteen year old Stanley Tomaszewski lit a match to see the
loosened bulb and tightened it. As Stanley walked back across the bar, someone noticed one of
the artificial palm trees had caught on fire. One customer recalled “that they were standing very
close to the ‘tiny blaze’ and that ‘they were all laughing and joking’ while the Grove employees
wrestled with the burning tree”(Esposito 34).
Quickly, the seemingly harmless fire caught onto the fabrics hanging from the ceilings
and walls. The fire rapidly made its way sideways and forward towards the staircase. The fire
scorched the whole basement in matters of seconds, and its destruction was fueled by the fabric
of the ceiling. Ruth Strogoff explained “you would be standing in one place and before you
knew it, it would shoot out of another place”(Esposito 35). People panicked and dashed towards
the only exit they knew of which was the narrow staircase. The fabric and wood in the basement
was believed to have burn at 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit. Some people burned from the blazing
fabrics that fell from the ceilings while others collapsed due to carbon monoxide inhalation.
Bodies began to pile up on the staircase making it extremely difficult for people to escape. The
fire that ignited from the match torched the Melody lounge and continued upstairs onto the main
floor.
The main floor was just as crowded and tightly packed as was the Melody lounge. The
Coastguardsman Raymond N. Carter described the scene; “‘All the tables and chairs were full’,
4
he reported later, but the situation was no better upstairs. ‘The tables up there were so close
together we had to twist and turn to get the the dance floor’”(Esposito 44). The two known exits
to the public were a revolving door that led on to Piedmont Street and the New Broadway
Lounge doorway. Both exits were nearly a full city block distance from each other causing
people to panic and rush towards the revolving door. The panic crowd jammed the revolving
door from too many people trying to escape at one time. The fire escaped the Melody lounge
and exploded into the main floor area. One patron said “like a wind it swept up the stairs and I
don’t know why it moved so fast”(Esposito 44). More than half of the people in attendance of
the Cocoanut Grove that night died due to the tragic fire.
The accuracy of John C. Esposito’s storytelling can be assessed by analyzing outside
sources. The story of the Cocoanut Grove fire is explained by the Boston Fire and Historical
Society’s official website. The majority of their statements coincide with Esposito’s claim. Both
sources claim the cause of the fire to be from the young bar boy’s match. In the book, Esposito
writes, “then he blew out the match, stepped off the stool, dropped the extinguished match to the
floor” and it goes on saying “a few of the tree’s imitation fronds near the top were crackling with
flame”(33). The online article from the Boston Fire and Historical Society agrees “due to the
lack of light in the area of the palm tree, the busboy lit a match in order to locate the socket for
the light bulb. Another detail that both sources agree with is that patrons fled towards the
revolving door which jammed due to the panicked crowd. The article writes, “after a small
number of people exited, the revolving door became jammed due to the crush of panicked
patrons”. Esposito backs up this claim saying, “trapped inside by the jammed revolving door
were Wilbur Sheffield and Charles Begotti”(44). The article “The Story of the Cocoanut Grove
Fire” confirms the author’s accuracy.
In 1942, a fire report concerning the Cocoanut grove was written by the city of Boston’s
fire commissioner William Arthur Reilly. His report and the book both have the same detailed
descriptions of the fire’s characteristics. In the report, the commissioner describes “when the
flame appeared in the street floor lobby it was described as traveling rapidly as a ‘ball of fire’
below the ceiling. Many witnesses described the flame as of yellowish blue color”(Reilly 43).
In the book, the author describes the fire exactly as the commissioner does. Esposito writes,
“blue and orange flames were shooting in all different directions”(35) and that “it looked like a
ball of fire traveling through the air”(44). Both sources described the fire as a blue-yellow-
5
orangish ball of flames traveling rapidly. Another agreement between the two sources was that
many of the casualties were due to the publics unfamiliarity of the exits. The book states “the
strongest evidence in support of this statement is that the overwhelming majority of Grove
employees escaped safely. Although they were frightened and they ran, they knew which way to
run”(Esposito 80). The commissioner’s report agrees explaining, “further deaths were caused by
the fact that members of the public were unfamiliar with the location of the exits” and “many
employees, familiar with the arrangement of the premises, succeeded in making their way
out”(47). Reilly’s report and Esposito’s book both agree that many of the deaths were due to the
lack of instructions for the public’s safe exit.
(How did the built environment influence survival?)
The built environment had a tremendously negative effect on the survival of the people
caught in the fire. One of the leading causes of deaths is attributed to the revolving door. The
first instinct for a panicked person trapped in a fire is to exit the same way in which they came.
A revolving door is designed to easily regulate temperatures from the outside weather to the
inside; it is possibly the worst type of door to have hundreds of people rushing through. Esposito
writes, “revolving doors, which were invented to control air exchange between the outside and
insides of buildings, work well to control the orderly flow of traffic into a room, but a desperate
crowd seeking to get out in a hurry easily jams them”(42). As people quickly became aware of
the fire, they rushed towards the one of two known exits and the door sealed them in.
Not only was the revolving door at fault, but also the other eight exits that went unnoticed
by the public. There was a door with an exit sign located directly at the top of the staircase
leading down towards the Melody Lounge, where the fire originated. It would have provided
and easy escape route, however, it was locked. Barney Welanksy, the owner of the nightclub,
“made a simple business decision about all of the emergency doors. they were kept locked or
obscured to discourage deadbeats from skipping on their checks”(Esposito 43). This was
somehow allowed because no inspectors from the city ever called him out on it. Barney knew
the way of Boston politics, and the authorities rarely gave him trouble. Many customers
included politicians, newspapermen, and bankers who were all allowed to dine free of charge.
Another faulty door was located at the New Broadway Lounge which acted as the second main
public exit. This door was designed to swing into the room which goes against the flow of a
6
mob. Esposito claims, “the interior door swung into the room. Doors that swing into public
rooms are dangerous because they defy the flow of human traffic. A panicked crowd pressing
against and inward-swinging door will seal itself within a burning building”(42). The built
environment, the design of the doors and the city inspectors during the time period, are held
responsible for the deaths of many patrons.
One of the main contributions to the rapid escalation of the fire is the design of the
Melody Lounge. The Melody Lounge was a windowless basement with a low ceiling that was
transformed into a bar area without permits. Investigators would conclude that the tight space
lacked relatively in oxygen levels which caused the gases emitted from the fabrics to burn
incompletely. However, the room became extraordinarily hot and toxic (87). The superheated
smoke reaching a temperature of 1,800 degrees fahrenheit generated and enormous amount of
pressure. The pressure generated by the heat pushed itself up the staircase and into the foyer in
search of oxygen. This superheat burned victims faces off without a flame ever touching them
(88). Once the gases reached the foyer there was an explosion from the fuel and heat reacting
with the new found oxygen supply. Esposito retells an observer’s story, “the air itself was full of
flames…I believe that some gas generated in the Melody Lounge was burning as it flowed up the
stairs”(88). The poor design of the Melody Lounge acted as a fuel tank for the fire, and ignited
as it met with oxygen supply of the upstairs.
(Would a similar structure built today potentially suffer the same fate?)
For the most part, no, a similar structure built today would not suffer the same fate as the
Cocoanut Grove. However, 61 years later a similar incident to the Cocoanut Grove occurred at
the Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island. A band called Great White used white
sparks as a part of their show to enhance the effect of their opening song. In a matter of seconds,
these “harmless” sparks caught fire and set the whole club to a blaze. Similarly to Cocoanut
Grove, people frantically rushed towards the main entrance door causing a jam. Esposito writes,
“people coming from several directions collided at the door, and it became jammed within ninety
seconds”(237). Despite having the new tools and resources available that did not exist for the
Grove fire, the fire caused the death of ninety-six people.
7
Immediately following the tragedy, the National Institute of Standards and Technology
(NIST) conducting a study on the chemistry of fire and released a list of recommendations for
not only nightclubs, but to all public places of assembly. One of the recommendations states,
“require automatic fire sprinkler systems for all new and existing nightclubs regardless of
size”(Esposito 242). These type of sprinklers can be seen in all buildings of large capacity.
These are not only found in nightclubs, but in schools, hotels, and restaurants. Another
recommendation states, “Provide explicit instructions for emergency egress prior to the start of
any public event”(Esposito 242). The goal of this is to prepare people for the unfortunate event
of a disaster like a fire. It’s very useful to have these instructions so there is less panic during an
emergency. During the previews of a movie in theaters, they provide instructions on where to
exit. Compared to 1942, people should feel much safer in today’s public buildings. With that
being said, people need to be aware of danger and ready to act at any moment.
(Did you like this book?)
The book “Fire in the Grove: The Cocoanut Grove Tragedy and its Aftermath” by John
C. Esposito does a great job in captivating the readers attention until it turns into something
somewhat dull and drawn out. The detailed descriptions of the fire provide gruesome and
chilling imagery of the horrific event. Also, I was fascinated by the chapters in which they talk
about the chemical and physically causes of the fire. Once the book got into detailed about the
trials and legality, I started to lose interest into the book. In a way, I felt like I had somewhat of
a special connection to this book because I grew up in the suburbs outside of Boston. I grew up
going into the city for all different types of activities such as watching the RedSox, visiting a
museum, or skateboarding through the streets. Previous to reading this, I had no knowledge of
such a tragic event occurring in Boston other than the recent Marathon bombings. I talked to my
grandmother, who was born in 1942, about the fire at the Grove. Even though she was born the
year of the fire, she recalled hearing about the fire for decades after the event. I would
recommend this book to people who are interested in the history, fire, and the city of Boston.
8
Reference
Boston Fire History. The Boston Fire Historical Society. http://bostonfirehistory.org/the-story-ofthe-cocoanut-grove-fire/. Accessed 10 Oct. 2017.
Esposito, John C. Fire in the Grove: The Cocoanut Grove Tragedy and its Aftermath. Da Capo
Press, 2005. Print.
Reilly, William Arthur. “Report Concerning the Cocoanut Grove Fire”. 28 Nov. 1942. Print.
9
SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY
KILLER SHOW: A PREVENTABLE TRAGEDY
Construction Engineering 101
10/09/2017
Brendan Bradley
The Station was a relatively small, rock club in West Warwick, Rhode Island. The
evening the band the Great White took the stage at the station, neither Warwick nor the
United States would ever be the same. A combination of circumstances that vary in
description from careless to criminal, left 230 people injured, many critically and another
100 dead. John Barylick, was the attorney for the survivors and the families of the
deceased victims of the fire. In Killer Show, he recounts his findings from seven years of
investigation placing blame on the responsible parties, sharing victim’s stories and
highlighting the exact causes of the fire along the way.
The club was owned by two brothers Michael and Jeffrey Derderian. The
brothers were in their early 30’s and had little experience in the industry that they were
about to voyage into. At the expense of safety, the club owners had overlooked many
safety regulations. In an attempt make certain that no patrons snuck in the club, they
were herded into narrow entry point. At the end of the narrow corridor, the ticket taker
took the concert goers ticket and they would be admitted into the club.
Inside the club were the exit door from the bar, which was behind patrons facing
the concert. There was another door to the right of the stage, a “band door”, which
patrons were explicitly forbidden from using by a sign and later security guards, even
after the fire had started. By constraining the club’s entry point and limiting the use of
the clubs exits, the Derderian brothers caused a massive bottleneck for club goers. The
building was only allowed to hold 404 people at maximum. However, in their effort to
maximize profits the brothers would over-state the club’s capacity. To attract famous
bands, the brothers even claimed that the club could hold up to 600 people and when
more tickets were sold than the 404-maximum capacity, the brothers even directed
ticket takers to accept business cards as tickets that had been sold at the box office.
Extra club goers meant extra stress, on the already stressed exit points.
Due to the nature of the loud music played at the club it had been a
neighborhood nuisance for years. The brothers took the advice of their closest neighbor
and chief-complainant and purchased sound deafening polyurethane foam to insulate
the walls of the club with. It was installed along one of the walls and behind the stage.
2
Neither the salesmen or the brothers considered whether fire retardancy would even be
necessary; even though the brothers had allowed past performers to use pyrotechnics
in their shows. It was clear that the brothers had no regard for safety as there were not
even fire extinguishers readily available to suffocate the fire before it was an insatiable
inferno.
One the most egregious code violations the Derderian brothers committed was
the refusal to get the building retrofitted with sprinklers1. The sprinklers were required by
Rhode Island state law because of the large crowds, over 300 people, that the brothers
intended to entertain there. John Barylick sets the scene very clearly, the Derderian
brothers had effectively turned their club into a death trap with profit as it’s justification.
Although, the brothers created the worst circumstances imaginable for one of the
worst fires in US history they were not entirely to blame. Barylick proceeds to place the
blame on the local fire inspector, Denis Larocque, because it is the fire inspectors job to
ensure that buildings meet the fire code; that ensure public safety. When complaints
were made about The Station having too many problems, such as fighting and
overcrowding the local police chief had Larocque check to make the capacity was not
being exceeded. Larocque concluded his investigation by increasing the maximum
capacity to 317 from the prior 258 people. Two months later when the club was sold to
the Derderians, Larocque again raised the capacity to the 404 people that it was on the
night of the fire.
Pressing the effective capacity of The Station to the limit was not the only
questionable decision the fire inspector made. During multiple previous inspections, the
“band door” had been denoted as being broken or opening into to the room as opposed
to swinging out of the building. In subsequent inspections Larocque repeatedly cites the
owners of The Station for the same inward swinging door, he never mentions the foam
as a violation of the fire code in his reports. The brothers had even had the foam placed
over the inward swinging door. Any person who opened the door would have had to
stuck their hand into a foam hole so he could open the inward swinging door he
Tidwell, Jim. “The Station Nightclub Fire: Revisiting the Lessons.” Fire Engineering. 01/01/2012. http://www.fireengineering.com/articles/print/volume-165/issue1/features/station-nightclub-fire-revisiting-lessons-full.html
3
mentions in his November 2002 report. When asked about why he testified that he
didn’t report the foam on the inspection, he replied because that he did not see it. Denis
Larocque was never indicted. Instead the brunt of the punishment fell onto Dan
Biechele. Biechele was the Great White’s band manager and lit the pyrotechnic that
started the fire.
Before the Station was a night club it was wood-framed row house. Over the
years it became various establishments including bars and restaurants, additions were
made by owners, it is Barylick’s assumption that not all additions were made in
accordance with the Rhode Island fire code. When Biechele lit the pyrotechnic, it started
the foam on fire that Fire Inspector Denis Larocque had turned a blind eye to and that
Michael and Jeffrey Derderian didn’t even bother to consider a hazard. It only took a
couple of minutes for the fire to become so intense the fates of those remaining inside,
much like the club’s inadequate exits, were effectively sealed.
Within seconds of the Pyrotechnics going off panic ensues. Clubgoers begin to
rush toward any exit, they soon begin to realize the intensity of the flames are
increasing. The pressure of the bottleneck that the Derderian brothers created by
restricting the entry and exits, is increased exponentially by the fire. The urgency to get
to the door is compounded by peoples need to survive. People begin to try to push
through each other. As this is happening some people are falling and being trampled.
More people began to trip. Their bodies become hurdles for other patrons to scale2.In
less than two minutes the narrow club entrance was crammed from floor to ceiling with
people attempting to get out of the fire.
When the firemen arrived only minutes after the initial spark there was little that
they could do to contain the fire. With limited resources and so many critically injured
people, they were forced to focus on saving the lives of victims. By the time the fire was
out all that was left of the structure were remnants of the exterior walls. The interior of
Tidwell, Jim. “The Station Nightclub Fire: Revisiting the Lessons.” Fire Engineering. 01/01/2012. http://www.fireengineering.com/articles/print/volume-165/issue1/features/station-nightclub-fire-revisiting-lessons-full.html
4
the club had been completely engulfed. Of the 462 in attendance nearly three-quarters
received bodily injury including those that died.
The tragedy at The Station has caused strict enforcement of nightclub safety
policies, including installation of sprinklers and evacuation time limits for their rated
capacity. Unfortunately, the world has not learned enough from this incident and
incidents like this one. Although it may not be a fire, recently there was a similar incident
in Orlando, Florida where a lone gunman killed 49 club patrons and part of the issue for
those injured was an inability to find shelter. Both The Station-fire and the Orlando
Shooting have shown how people still place their faith into the built environment and are
failed for it too often. Future engineers and architects will need to take events like these
into consideration when designing the built environment so that there is shelter for
occupants in areas of high traffic that are subject to disaster.
Yes, I would recommend this book to people, whether you are interested in
creating the future built environment or are a person who attends large functions, there
is something for everyone to learn from this tragedy.
5
Bibliography
Barylick, John. Killer Show.Lebanon:University Press New England, 2012
Bryner, Nelson. Grosshandler, William. Kuntz, Kenneth and Madrzykowski, Daniel.
Report of the Technical Investigation of The Station Nightclub Fire. Washington: US
Government Printing Office, 2005
Tidwell, Jim. “The Station Nightclub Fire: Revisiting the Lessons.” Fire Engineering.
01/01/2012. http://www.fireengineering.com/articles/print/volume-165/issue1/features/station-nightclub-fire-revisiting-lessons-full.html
6
Running head: TO SLEEP WITH THE ANGELS
Mina Ghareeb
CONE 101 Construction and Culture
13 October 2017
Book Report 1
“To Sleep with the Angels”
TO SLEEP WITH THE ANGELS
1
Table of Contents
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 2
To Sleep with the Angels ................................................................................................................ 2
Culture Factor …………………………………………………………………………………… 4
Influence of the Built Environment ................................................................................................ 5
Changes in Policy ........................................................................................................................... 6
Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................... 6
Review ............................................................................................................................................ 6
References ....................................................................................................................................... 8
TO SLEEP WITH THE ANGELS
2
Introduction
When it comes to fire safety, hidden problems in buildings do turn deadly when fires lit
within the building rage out of control; this is particularly true for public buildings such as
schools, libraries or even offices. Most of the literature that focuses on fire, such as “to sleep
with the angels” displays how innocuous building features, such as wooden staircases, often
become the fuel that propels a fire throughout the building (Cowan & Kuenster, 1998).
This paper is a review of the book titled “to sleep with the angels” by David Cowan and
John Kuenster. The report assesses the main topic covered in the book, which is the fire that
plagued Our Lady of the Angels institution in Chicago circa 1958. The review also touches on
important elements of the story and the causes behind the fire.
To sleep with the Angels chronicles the events that led to one of the most disastrous fire
incidents in the United States of America. According to the book and other sources, the fire in
the school began in the basement. The building features of the school such as lack of fire escape
routes, wooden stairs, and floors waxed with flammable coating propelled the fire throughout the
building, leading to the death of ninety-three people, most of them schoolchildren. This review
focusses on the features of the built environment that made it impossible to contain the fire at the
school. The review begins with details about the fire as presented in the book (Hoy, 2004).
To Sleep with the Angels
The authors of the book begin the story with a truncated version of the storyline that
provides an outline of the Chicago social life, culture and history. One noticeable aspect of the
story is that at the onset of the twentieth century, Chicago grew at a rapid pace. The necessity of
servicing the increasing population meant that the rate of new building construction was very
high, the book notes that the fire and police department operated efficiently. However, the city
and nation at large did not truly grasp the importance of enforcing fire safety codes in public
schools, to highlight this, the book shows how it is only in the mid-twentieth century that there
was a municipal ordinance targeting the fire safety preparedness of new buildings. The new law
ensured that new buildings had important features such as a fire exit staircases; however, while
new buildings had to have the latest in fire prevention, old buildings were exempt from the law.
It was common for many old multistory buildings to have wood flooring and numerous other
TO SLEEP WITH THE ANGELS
3
antiquated features that made buildings very prone to a fire. One Chicago building that was very
vulnerable to fire was Our Lady of the Angels, a two-story preparatory school (Teeman, Wade,
Golden, & Lawson, 2009).
In the first chapter, the authors of “to sleep with the angels” provide details about the
environment and neighborhood of the school. For instance, the authors observe how the largest
parish in Chicago, the Chicago Archdiocese, was adjacent to the school. As a close-knit Catholic
community, the authors chronicle how everyone in the school’s neighborhood knew each other.
The school’s neighborhood provides a window into the cultural factors that contributed to the
fire. For instance, it was common knowledge that the Catholic preparatory school was woefully
unprepared for a fire. However, the members of the community around the school failed to
intervene because they considered safety at the school the responsibility of the pastor; this is
despite the fact that the school housed children. As long as there was no fire, the school was
okay; this all changed on the first day of December 1958, when the first lick of flames began
speeding in the school’s basement (Cowan & Kuenster, 1998).
On the fateful day, the fire began in the School’s basement and went on unchecked for
more than thirty minutes; this allowed for superheated gases and fire to find their way into the
first and second floors in the building’s north wing. The fact that the building had no smoke
detection and sprinkler system enabled the fire to rage through the building unchecked. The
school did have fire extinguishers; however, the extinguishers were mounted seven feet high on
the wall, out of the reach of most adults and all children.
The book is accurate about the big picture and most of the details about the fire. For
instance, an independent report done by an arson investigator chronicles the statements of the
school’s janitor, Mr. James Raymond, who stated that he first observed the fire at the school’s
basement around 2:00 pm. The fire first spread to the second floor via a staircase made of wood.
The fact that the school only had one fire escape staircase meant that children and teachers on the
second floor of the school had no way of escaping the ragging flames inching closer towards
them. The book shows how the floors of the building were made of wood; the superhot air
caused the floor to ignite. The fire also caused the glass in the windows to shatter, fresh air from
the windows providing oxygen to fuel the flames (Cowan & Kuenster, 1998).
TO SLEEP WITH THE ANGELS
4
Until today, it is unclear whether the cause of the fire was intentional or just an
unfortunate accident. The book concludes by consensus that the cause of the fire was arson; this
is because almost all of the investigators who investigated the school claimed that the likely
cause of the fire was arson, including the school Janitor.
Other sources that chronicled the fire such as newspaper articles and independent reports
from investigators do corroborate the details presented in the book. The authors of “to sleep with
the angels” stick with the facts; this is important as it ensures that the book is a vital resource in
the process of ensuring that public buildings have the requisite fire protection measures. One of
the important pieces of information that other sources about the fire include is a boy who came
forward and admitted to the fire; thus corroborating the opinion of investigators. Further
investigations into the boy’s claims found them plausible because he had knowledge of where
the fire started; witness statements also back up the boy’s claims. However, despite is the
admission of arson, the cause if the fire is still undetermined (Cowan & Kuenster, 1998).
However, unlike the source of the fire, other details about the incident are clear. For
instance, it is clear that the building, through sheer negligence, was inadequately prepared to
handle any fire. The fact that people do not anticipate a fire when constructing a building does
not mean they should not prepare for one. The negligence of the administrators of our Lady of
Angels led to the loss of life.
Cultural Factors
One of the cultural
factors is the discipline and
rigor characteristics of catholic
schools. The discipline and
rigor might have been a factor
that prevented children from
running away from the fore.
Sources document how teachers
instructed children to sit and
pray for the fire instead of
TO SLEEP WITH THE ANGELS
5
finding a means to escape. The willingness of the community around the school to acquiesce to
its condition is also another factor that led to the fire (Cowan & Kuenste, 1998).
Influence of the Built Environment
Several aspects of the built environment contributed to the fire. Firstly, the school had a
limited amount of fire alarm switches; this meant that when a fire began at one end of the school,
pupils that were on the other end of the school’s surroundings had no way of knowing whether
there was a fire. Another key omission that the school’s limited fire switches had is that they
were not directly connected to the local fire station; limiting the ability of the fire station to
respond to a fire incident at the school (Cowan & Kuenster,1998).
Another core structural feature that contributed to the flames destroying the school is the
stairs. Because the primary construction material used to make the stairs was wood, fire easily
spread up the stairs to the upper floors, the book chronicles an exasperated parent exclaiming that
the stairs of the school were very dry. Because fire blocked the path of children and teachers on
the second floor, the only option for survival was jumping from upper floor windows. However,
the windows of the school were out of reach of little children; many died attempting to climb
over the windows (Cowan & Kuenster, 1998).
Another key culprit of the built environment is the corridors of the second floor; the
corridors had no doors ensuring that the children had no way of running away from the fire. The
corridors also had wood flooring that made the building extra combustible. Teachers and
children found themselves quickly engulfed by fire with no means of escape.
The school’s gate also contributed to the calamitous/devastating loss of life. When the
firefighters eventually arrived at the school, they found the gates locked; they had to break down
the gates to gain entry into the burning school, losing crucial minutes while the fire raged on in
the school. The firefighters also received wrong instructions about the location of the fire within
the school meaning that they had to reposition their hoses a second time, losing more crucial
minutes.
Another essential element that contributed to the fatalities is the roof of the school, which
was coated, with layers of tar and paper. The nature of the school’s roof ensured smoke could not
TO SLEEP WITH THE ANGELS
6
escape the structure, thus suffocating the people within. The roof also collapsed inside the
structure, potentially adding to the fatalities.
There is little to speak of in regards to positive aspects of the construction that might have
led to saving lives. One of the reasons there were more fatalities in the second floor than the first
floor is that a big wooden door blocked the entrance to the first-floor corridor, thus ensuring that
the students on the first floor of the building had more opportunities to escape the fire.
Another detail about the fire that came to light in subsequent investigations is the fact that
the school nuns believed that the school’s structural integrity would successfully fend off the fire
and ensure the safety of the children within; this was flawed reasoning as the fire engulfed whole
floors leaving the nuns and children helpless. The lack of an adequate number of fire alarms at
the schools meant that by the time the teachers and children realized there was a fire; the
staircase was already inundated in flames and unpassable. Faced with an unpassable stairway,
the nuns opted to wait for firefighters to rescue them, a decision that proved disastrous (Cowan
& Kuenster, 1998).
Changes in Policy
The horrific nature of the fire at Our Lady of Angels preparatory school necessitated
immediate action to ensure that such a horrific incident never happens again. After the fire, there
were statewide policy reforms that pushed for greater safety requirements for school buildings.
Other states also learned from the incident in Chicago and quickly implemented reforms of their
own to ensure that public buildings met the most stringent safety standards.
Conclusion
In conclusion, “to sleep with the angels” chronicles a horrific fire that blazed through a
school and led to the death of more than ninety children. The fire led to some much-needed
changes to public schools ensuring that they are much safer places for schooling.
Review
To sleep with the angels is a book that tells/gives a compelling story about a fire that
razed through a school leading to a death toll of ninety-five. The book’s careful analysis of the
factors that led to the fire grips the reader and inspires a greater appreciation for the systems and
TO SLEEP WITH THE ANGELS
7
structures that keep children safe from fires at school. Overall, I would recommend the book as it
is not only interesting but also educative.
TO SLEEP WITH THE ANGELS
8
References
Cowan, & Kuenster. (1998). To Sleep with the Angels: The Story of a Fire. Ivan R. Dee.
Hoy. (2004). Stunned with Sorrow. Chicago History.
Teeman, Wade, Golden, & Lawson. (2009). A burning issue: what is the impact of school fires?
Research Information for Teachers (Wellington), (2), 20-25.
Purchase answer to see full
attachment