Question

All the following factors combined to cause the high death rate in the Triangle Shirtwaist Company fire except _________.

• A. The business occupied the upper three floors of the building, well above ground level.
• B. The fire doors were locked from the outside.
• C. The only fire escape gave way beneath the weight of the escaping workers.
• D. The only owners did not enact any of the safety regulations the workers' union had requested repeatedly.
• E. A large strike by women's shirtwaist makers in 1909 began at the Triangle Company.

Answer 1

The correct option is E A large strike by women's shirtwaist makers in 1909 began at the Triangle Company.

A strike two years before the fire would not have affected the death rate. The other four choices are all true and if the business had occupied lower floors, workers might have been able to jump to safety, but as it was, most of those who tried were crushed to death.