Commemorating the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

This year marks the centennial observation of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the worst tragedy in New York City history until September 11, 2001.  The Triangle Fire burned for thirty minutes, starting on the eighth  floor of the Asch Building, located on the northwest corner of Greene and Washington in Greenwich Village, on a Saturday afternoon on March 25, 1911, killing 146 people. The majority of those who perished were young immigrant women, most still in their teens and twenties. One young woman, an immigrant from Russia, was working at Triangle for only two days when the fire started. Those who jumped out  the windows to escape the flames rather than burn alive, died when they hit the sidewalk.  The doors were locked from the outside, so access to the stairs was impossible.  The only way out were the elevators, which were overloaded and insufficient. The elevator operators made three trips up and down to get people out before the intense heat bent the metal mechanisms of the shaft, and rendered it useless.  Some panicked and jumped down the elevator shaft into flames.  These brave women, who were trying to organize, worked , some say nine, some say fourteen hours a day with one half hour break for lunch. The lighting was poor, it was hot in the summer, cold in the winter, (as in all sweatshops) their every move was watched and they were charged for the thread and needles they used. For working in these horrible conditions they were paid the princely sum of two dollars a week.  But that was not bad enough.  The doors were locked so no one could leave five minutes early, or sneak a piece of cloth or finished blouse under her arm on their way out. I saw a PBS documentary on this fire and it affected me deeply.  I will never forget it.  I think of those young women every day.  Their lives had to have been unbearable to make the difficult journey to America and they must have had hopes and dreams for their future.

After the Triangle tragedy, many labor reforms were enacted  with penalty if not obeyed. The owners of The Triangle were not charged with anything at the trial that ensued, because they had broken no laws.  But  later they were indicted for manslaugter, but only fined a paltry sum instead. In 1913, one of the owners was fined twenty dollars for locking the doors on his new factory.

Today the building is known as the Brown Building, a National Historic Landmark, and a New York City Landmark.

Six heretofore unidentified victims were identified this year and honored with headstones at their gravesite.

All week there are to be commemorations public and private in New York City.