During the late 1800s and early 1900s several major tragic events occurred which negatively impacted the times and caused a great number of deaths. One such tragedy was the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, which resulted in a densely populated area built with highly combustible area. Another such tragedy made exponentially worse by the failure to recognize proper safety precautions was the 1912 sinking of RMS Titanic. Given the nature of the impact with the iceberg, the Titanic’s sinking was inevitable. However, very few safety precautions were taken during the construction, so many passengers were left to drown or freeze to death. In 1906, Californians were devastated by a 7.7 magnitude earthquake leaving the city in disarray (The editors of encyclopedia britanncia). Hundreds of thousands were left homeless and cities were left looking war-torn. While these tragedies certainly made quite an impact on those they affected, they did make it possible for subsequent generations to be more prepared against experiencing such hardships in the future.
On October 8, 1871, what would later be called, the Great Chicago Fire spread rapidly across the city, ravaging people and structures in its path. During this time period factories emerged in every major city. The world-wide spread of industrialization created reformation in production, creating new innovative products. This transition led to economic growth, whereby more people migrated to the United States in search of jobs. Due to the influx of workers, major cities, such as Chicago, Detroit, and Pittsburg, experienced massive growth creating the need for multi-family living units (apartment buildings). Unfortunately, the buildings were hazardous having been made from flammable material; thus, the fire became widespread. The total tole taken on the city was an estimated 300 casualties, 100,000 homeless, and 2,100 acres wiped out due to the disaster (Chicago Architect Center). The cause for the widespread fire was the wide-spread use of wood for all business and residential quarters.
This was needed because over the course of 20 years the city population grew from 300,000 to 1 million people (Chicago Architect Center). With the exponential growth buildings were being made cheap and fast, so the city could keep up with the growth from people migrating. Lumber was easily accessible in the Midwest, so it became the main resource to build with. Another reason the fire burned for 2 days was the summer conditions. Chicago had faced a drought with only a total of three inches of rain falling on the city (McNamara). During this period there were fire regulations, because people realized the danger of the dry, hot weather could cause fires, so regulations were instilled in hope to prevent against them (McNamara). Unfortunately, inspectors ignored said rules.
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There is still controversy over what caused the disaster, but a key suspect was the starting in the O’Leary barn. Kate O’Leary and her husband Patrick downed a barn with many cows. For their comfort wood shavings, coal, and hay were kept for the winter. However, one night a cow kicked over a lantern causing the fire to erupt fueled by the hay, coal, and wood shavings. This created a chain link event leading the fire to the city (The O’Leary Legend). After the tragedy large cities created walls with a fireproof coating. Shingles were formerly created out of wood, but they changed to using non-flammable slate. Waterworks were also made more accessible. When a fire would start the cities main water source would be used to immediately put it out, preventing against another tragedy. Ironically, a Fire Academy was built on the O’Leary land where the fire was said to have first started. The Chicago Fire Academy still serves its purpose today (Schons).
During the industrial era transportation was needed for the surplus of people. The first car was created by Karl Benz in 1885, having a internal combustion engine (editors). Soon after “the Wright brothers achieved the first powered, sustained and controlled airplane flight; they surpassed their own milestone two years later when they built and flew the first fully practical airplane(source). But above all the latest innovations in transportation, was the construction of the RMS titanic. With the growing number of travelers requiring trans-Atlantic passage, bigger ships were needed. The RMS Titanic was an offspring necessitated by this reformation and growth. The massive vessel reached 882 feet in length making it the largest liner in the seas. No expense was spared in the making of this luxurious cruiser, which was quite well-equipped for entertainment. However, only 16 small lifeboats were included for the 1,503 people aboard (Smith).
Unfortunately, this made the difference in the lives lost on the fateful night when the ‘unsinkable ship’ bashed its bow against the iceberg. Upon collision, the iron rivets on the ship were too weak and in turn were ripped apart. Another reason for the disaster was the reduced maneuverability. The Titanic was unable to avoid the iceberg at full speed with the lack of motion. Innovations from the crash were made to all ocean liners including upgraded lifeboats which could hold all the ship’s occupants. Additionally, safety boats were tested regularly tested and the crew was properly trained on evacuation procedures. Currently before embarking on a cruise, each passenger now must be in attendance of a muster drill, which explains where and how to evacuate effectively. According to Royal Caribbean Cruise line each lifeboat (of which there are 18 total on most ships) can hold 370 passengers, meaning there is more than enough space for all passengers (Walker). In order to rectify the issue of lack of mobility, ships now have propellers on their sides allowing them to move side to side and dock easier. Since the tragedy of the Titanic, cruise lines have taken necessary precaution and added more safety features to the ship.
On April 18, 1906 at 5 am the tectonic plates under san Francisco shifted causing an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.9 (Frantz). “In 1906 San Francisco was the ninth largest U.S. city with a population of 400,000, and over 225,000 were left homeless by the disaster. The death toll is uncertain. City officials estimated the casualties at 700 but more modern calculations say about 3,000 lost their lives (Frantz).” While the earthquake merely lasted for less than a minute, the fires in ignited and the destruction it left was detrimental.
Industrialization was an important time in American history, because it was the reason for economic growth. With a strong government many people migrated to America in hope to have the ‘American dream’. Cities like Chicago needed to create more residency, factories and businesses for the increasing community. This inevitably led to the Great Chicago fire of 1871. Another innovation was the rise of transportation. Cars, airplanes, and boats were created to efficiently move people. The most renowned among these was the RMS titanic.
