The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-04-18
HARRIS And BLANCK BLAMED
CORONER'S JURY SPEAKS or
"CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE."


ana Girl Died In CONSEQUENCE Jury
Makes Eight Recommendations. In.
ciudins One 10 FIX Responsibility. !
The Coroner's jury that has been in
vestigating the Washington place fire
returned verdict late yesterday after
noon after a seven hour session holding
Isaac Harris and Max Blanck. proprie-
tors of the Triangle Waist Company. in
whose factory the fire occurred. respon-
sible for the death OF Mary Herman. the
young operator whose death the jury
elected to investigate. The verdict reads
as follows:
We find that the said Mary Herman
came to her death on the ?Sth day Of
March. 1911. at the premises 81 and 20
Washington place by asphyxiation by
smoke. caused by a conhagration that
originated on the eighth floor spresding
to the ninth and tenth floors in a manner
unknown to the jury. and that the body Of
the deceased was found on the ninth floor
VI Noiu III VfuiSVo tlorc W tit uppI W hy
leading to the stairs on the Washington
place side. which door. according TO the
evidence presented TO the jury. was found
to be locked az the time of and during
said conhagration
I'VE find that the deceased attempted
to escape by said door and that her failure
80 to escape was due to the fact that said
door was locked.
We find that Isaac Harris and Max
Blanck. doing business under the firm
name of the Triangle Waist Company,
are responsible for the death of the de-
ceased because Of their criminal negli-
gence in failing to observe the required
legal precautions by leaving said door
unlocked
Legislation cannot eliminate all loss
Of life by fire or by panic. but properly
enforced laws can certainly lessen the
loss OF life from these causes. The evil
dence submitted to this jury shows that
there were employed on the eighth. ninth
and tenth floors of said premises about
FIVE hundred persons. of whom about 80
per cent. were females and of whom
about two hundred and thirty five were
employed on the ninth floor. where nearly
all the loss Of life by smoke and flames
occurred.
We are convinced by the evidence
that not only had no attention been given
to and no means provided for the hasty
exit OF those employed in said premises.
but on the contrary their safety had been
utterly disregarded.
We find that one OF the tables to which
the machines we're attached at which
the employees worked was 10 feet long,
that II extended from within iS,< inches
of the front wall at one end to within
10 inches Of . partition at the other end.
thus leaving only two passageways. one
OF about ~ inches and one OF 10 inches,
through which said employees were
obliged to pass to reach the stairs and
elevators
The foregoing is q condition that GER
tainly should not obtain. II there is any
Law that permits it it should be immed-
ately repealed. II there is no Law govern
ing il such Law should at once be enacted
which will prohibit such a condition.
and the law should be so framed that
its enforcement should rest upon ono single
department of the city government.
There should be no divided responsi-
bilty.
1T is the opinion OF this jury that all
FIRE escapes should be regularly inspected
by the Fire Department and when such
inspection reveals non-c Uniformity with
the Law il should be Immediately re-
ported in writing to the Bureau OF Build
ings. which shall at once order the owner
Of the building on which said FIRE escape
is installed to have such changes made
as to make it comply with the law. and the
Bureau Of Buildings shall have power
to enforce such order"
The jury supplemented this verdict
with eight recommendations as follows:
!. That where plans are fled with the
Bureau Of Buildings for a new building, the
application set forth for what purpose
the building il to be used; that such build
ing shall he used for no other purpose
than that stated unless written permis-
sion be granted by the Superintendent OF
Buildings, who shall issue such a permit
only when the building complies in con-
struction with the law governing the class
OF buildings devoted to this other use.
3 That before any building shall be
used plans shall be filed with the Bureau
of Buildings showing the location Of
machinery, tables, exits. &c. together
with the number OF prospective en-
ployees, and that such plans must be ap-
proved by the Superintendent Of Build
ings. who must first determine that the
exits will enable all employees to escape
in time Of emergency.
3. That a compulsory fire drill shall be
established where large numbers OF en-
ployees are assembled,
I. That all factory buildings shall be
inspected at least once in six months.
5. That automatic sprinklers shall be
installed.
0. That all factory stairways shall be
hereafter extended to the roof.
I. That rules shall be posted in large
factories telling what to do in case OF Are
8, That an axe shall be placed at all
doors of manufacturing places.
After the jury had fled into the jury
box the ofYicisl stenographer, Frederick
Baker. read the verdict over to them.
! is that your verdict?" inquired Coroner
| Feinberg.
1T is" said Foreman Conover.
Coroner Feinberg thereupon thanked
the jury for the excellent work they had
done and expressed the hope that their
| findings would not be disregar arded. as
had sometimes hapDened to yerdicts in