Posted on 05/01/2025 9:08:04 AM PDT by DallasBiff
The Empire State Building, the 102-story skyscraper on Fifth Ave. between West 33rd and 34th Streets in Midtown Manhattan stands 1,454 feet tall. It was the world’s tallest building for 39 years from its completion in 1931 until the World Trade Center’s North Tower was completed in 1970. It has been named one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Excavation of the site began on January 22, 1930, and construction of the building began on March 17. The project involved 3,400 workers, mostly European immigrants, as well as hundreds of Mohawk iron workers. Despite an astonishing lack of safety regulations, only five workers died during construction.
(Excerpt) Read more at historycollection.com ...
There had to be accidents.
I wonder how many guys lost their lives from falling.
It was because it was in the Great Depression that the builders could hire all the extra talent they needed for cheap.
You could build that building today in in under a year and a half IF you were willing to pay top dollar for all the designers, planners, and construction workers.
Where was the photographer located; did he have to hang out on stuff like the workers?
Two things:
1. Because of the Great Depression, crews could hire the best since workers had few other options. Such talent is much less likely to screw up and get themselves or someone else killed.
2. Safety regulations, while needed, can also give the false impression of a safe situation, where if you knew it was all on you and your coworkers instead of some control box or procedure from a manufacturer, you'd make sure you were paying attention.
Despite an astonishing lack of safety regulations, only five workers died during construction.
It doesn’t include injuries I am sure
What have all the federal safety regulation actually done?
Is it time to turn OSHA back to the states too?
legal ramification which didn’t exist then, might be enough today.
I get queezy just looking at those pictures!
Actually, the lunch boxes are interesting. One says GO VOTE? made of paper? toss them when you are done. No metal lunch box to drop on someone’s head.
Yep, loved the Stooge’s version of construction back then…lol.
don’t see many safety harnesses...
Guy on the far right is holding a whiskey bottle.
Imagine such a photo getting out today?
so the bottom one is original? If you do fall, you don’t reach out and take someone with you? same reason you don’t bunch up in combat.
I guess OSHA wasn’t around then.
Fun fact: Many Mohawk Indians were involved in the labor force in those days of building skyscrapers. They were fearless for not being scared of heights.
My Great- Grandfather helped to build it.
They did what they had to do to feed their families! I would bet they were very well paid
“Guy on the far right is holding a whiskey bottle.
Imagine such a photo getting out today?”
He couldn’t afford a Yeti.
During that time my Dad was a rivet tosser on the George Washington Bridge then a Sand Hog in the Holland tunnel.
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