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4:40 P.M.
The Cutters of the Triangle Factory had finished their work. With five minutes to go, they stood around, talking until the the quitting bell rang. Although it was against the rules, some lite cigarettes, hiding the smoke by blowing it up their jacket sleeves. On the floor above, workers had begun to walk toward the lockers to get their coats and hats. -
4:45 P.M.
Workers from other firms had already left; Triangle employees had to stay longer to fill back orders. They were using it with cotton fabric. That burned as easily as gasoline. Something started a fire at exactly 4:45 P.M. we never found out what started it but people assume a cutter flicked a hot ash or flicked a live cigarette into a scrap bin. But flames grew instantly and grew out of hand. Someone pulled the fire alarm. In less than two minutes, the horse-drawn vehicles of Engine Company. -
5:00 P.M.
The flames grew greatly and cutters flung buckets of water at the flames but they couldn't control it. Flames were out of hand the foreman ran for the hose on the stairway wall but no water came out because it wasn't properly connected. While the Company of 72 were unloading their equipment, workers on the 8th floor rang furiously for the two passenger elevators even though it was against safety hazard's. Those who couldn't get to the elevator in time ran to the stairwell causing it to over pile -
5:10 P.M.
With the stairwell piled those in front couldn't open the door. Whenever someone tried to open it the crowd pinned against her. Finally cotter Louis Brown barged through the crowd and forced the door open. There was no light in the stairs so workers had to grope their way down.