This day in 1911...

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City on March 25, 1911, was the deadliest industrial disaster in the history of  New York City. It was also the second deadliest disaster in NYC, after the burning of the General Slocum on the East River on June 15, 1904, until the World Trade Center was attacked by terrorists and destroyed 90 years later.

The fire broke out in a rag bin toward the end of the day. There were 500 workers inside. Doors were locked, fire escapes shabby, fire hoses in the building were rotted. The Fire department hoses and ladders could not reach above the seventh floor. The elevator failed.

Jumping to certain death to escape the flames, many held hands, according to on-lookers unable to help.

Heros remembered

 

In the end 146 garment workers, mostly young women, died from burns, smoke inhalation, or  falling to the street below. Most of the victims were recent  immigrants between sixteen and twenty-three; the oldest victim was Providenza Panno at 43, and the youngest were two 14-year-olds:  Rosaria Maltese and  Kate Leone.

Photographer: Brown Brothers, March 25, 1911

A trial of the owners ended in aquittal- there was no way to prove they knew the doors were locked. In the civil suits that followed, they settled- seventy five dollars per victim. But the loss of these victims continues to have an impact.

As a result of the fire, a series of laws and regulations were put into place to protect the factory workers. They have been saving lives ever since.

The Dead:

Adler, Lizzie, 24

Altman, Anna, 16

  Ardito, Annina, 25

  Bassino, Rose, 31

  Benanti, Vincenza, 22

  Berger, Yetta, 18

Bernstein, Essie, 19

  Bernstein, Jacob, 38

  Bernstein, Morris, 19

  Billota, Vincenza, 16

  Binowitz, Abraham, 30

  Birman, Gussie, 22

Brenman, Rosie, 23

  Brenman, Sarah, 17

  Brodsky, Ida, 15

  Brodsky, Sarah, 21

  Brooks, Ada, 18

  Brunetti, Laura, 17

  Cammarata, Josephine, 17

  Caputo, Francesca, 17

  Carlisi, Josephine, 31

  Caruso, Albina, 20

  Ciminello, Annie, 36

  Cirrito, Rosina, 18

  Cohen, Anna, 25

  Colletti, Annie, 30

  Cooper, Sarah, 16

  Cordiano , Michelina, 25

  Dashefsky, Bessie, 25

  Del Castillo, Josie, 21

  Dockman, Clara, 19

Donick, Kalman, 24

  Eisenberg, Celia, 17

  Evans, Dora, 18

  Feibisch, Rebecca, 20

  Fichtenholtz, Yetta, 18

  Fitze, Daisy Lopez, 26

  Floresta, Mary, 26

  Florin, Max, 23

  Franco, Jenne, 16

  Friedman, Rose, 18

  Gerjuoy, Diana, 18

  Gerstein, Molly, 17

  Giannattasio, Catherine, 22

  Gitlin, Celia, 17

  Goldstein, Esther, 20

  Goldstein, Lena, 22

  Goldstein, Mary, 18

Goldstein, Yetta, 20

  Grasso, Rosie, 16

  Greb, Bertha, 25

  Grossman, Rachel, 18

  Herman, Mary, 40

  Hochfeld, Esther, 21

  Hollander, Fannie, 18

  Horowitz, Pauline, 19

  Jukofsky, Ida, 19

  Kanowitz, Ida, 18

  Kaplan, Tessie, 18

  Kessler, Beckie, 19

  Klein, Jacob, 23

  Koppelman, Beckie, 16

  Kula, Bertha, 19

  Kupferschmidt, Tillie, 16

Kurtz, Benjamin, 19

  L'Abbate, Annie, 16

Lansner, Fannie, 21

  Lauletti, Maria Giuseppa, 33

Lederman, Jennie, 21

  Lehrer, Max, 18

  Lehrer, Sam, 19

  Leone, Kate, 14

Leventhal, Mary, 22

  Levin, Jennie, 19

  Levine, Pauline, 19

  Liebowitz, Nettie, 23

  Liermark, Rose, 19

  Maiale, Bettina, 18

  Maiale, Frances, 21

  Maltese, Catherine, 39

  Maltese, Lucia, 20

  Maltese, Rosaria, 14

  Manaria, Maria, 27

  Mankofsky, Rose, 22

  Mehl, Rose, 15

  Meyers, Yetta, 19

  Midolo, Gaetana, 16

  Miller, Annie, 16

  Neubauer, Beckie, 19

  Nicholas, Annie, 18

  Nicolosi, Michelina, 21

  Nussbaum, Sadie, 18

  Oberstein, Julia, 19

  Oringer, Rose, 19

  Ostrovsky , Beckie, 20

  Pack, Annie, 18

  Panno, Provindenza, 43

  Pasqualicchio, Antonietta, 16

  Pearl, Ida, 20

  Pildescu, Jennie, 18

  Pinelli, Vincenza, 30

  Prato, Emilia, 21

  Prestifilippo, Concetta, 22

  Reines, Beckie, 18

  Rosen (Loeb), Louis, 33

  Rosen, Fannie, 21

  Rosen, Israel, 17

  Rosen, Julia, 35

  Rosenbaum, Yetta, 22

  Rosenberg, Jennie, 21

  Rosenfeld, Gussie, 22

  Rosenthal, Nettie, 21

  Rothstein, Emma, 22

  Rotner, Theodore, 22

  Sabasowitz, Sarah, 17

  Salemi, Santina, 24

  Saracino, Sarafina, 25

  Saracino, Teresina, 20

  Schiffman, Gussie, 18

  Schmidt, Theresa, 32

  Schneider, Ethel, 20

  Schochet, Violet, 21

  Schpunt, Golda, 19

  Schwartz, Margaret, 24

  Seltzer, Jacob, 33

  Shapiro, Rosie, 17

  Sklover, Ben, 25

  Sorkin, Rose, 18

  Starr, Annie, 30

  Stein, Jennie, 18

  Stellino, Jennie, 16

  Stiglitz, Jennie, 22

Taback, Sam, 20

  Terranova, Clotilde, 22

  Tortorelli, Isabella, 17

  Utal, Meyer, 23

  Uzzo, Catherine, 22

  Velakofsky, Frieda, 20

  Viviano, Bessie, 15

  Weiner, Rosie, 20

  Weintraub, Sarah, 17

  Weisner, Tessie, 21

  Welfowitz, Dora, 21

  Wendroff, Bertha, 18

  Wilson, Joseph, 22

  Wisotsky, Sonia, 17

 

 To learn more check out The Cornell website