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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2014
Preface
Christian Hansen oiled the machinery and fixed the belts at the Waterhead Mills in Lowell, Massachusetts, for a dozen years. The mill processed corduroy, velvet, and finished cotton goods. It ran on steam power until 5 PM, after which some of the machines changed over to electric power. Part of Christian’s job was to change over the motors at 5 PM. On March 16, 1920, Christian went about his usual work routine. Shortly after 5 PM, he threw one of the switches to turn on the electric power. The nearby compensator box had not been properly grounded and was leaking electricity. Christian was hit with 550 volts of electricity and died on the spot.
At about the same time, Leona Gagne began working at the Cardinal Shoe Factory in nearby Lawrence, Massachusetts. She worked up to ten hours a day, sometimes six days per week. The pay was modest, but as her son Paul recalls it, “It wasn’t bad for what she did. And the money helped put my brother and me through school.”
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