In the afternoon of March 25th, 1911, the upper three floors of the Asch Building in New York was ablaze. The fire would claim the lives of 146 workers of the Triangle Waistcoat Factory.
Now refurbished and renamed the building sees remnants of the past played out before people's eyes.
Now refurbished and renamed the building sees remnants of the past played out before people's eyes.
A Horrific Tragedy
The building aflame. Just after 4:40pm on March 25th, 1911 dozens of people looked up to the 8th, 9th and 10th floor windows of the Asch Building, 23 – 29 Washington Place, Greenwich Village, New York. A fire was raging, and besides the smoke that initially drew attention, it was the sound and sight of a man hitting the pavement after dropping 30 meters that drew a crowd.
Soon after, as the crowd watched, a man and women kissed before taking the drop to their deaths.
This event, that was to become known as the 'Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire', would draw upwards of 20,000 spectators as 146 people perished in the flames or on the sidewalk below. The eldest fatality was a woman aged 43 and the youngest just 11 (some sources say 14) years of age.
Soon after, as the crowd watched, a man and women kissed before taking the drop to their deaths.
This event, that was to become known as the 'Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire', would draw upwards of 20,000 spectators as 146 people perished in the flames or on the sidewalk below. The eldest fatality was a woman aged 43 and the youngest just 11 (some sources say 14) years of age.
Towering Inferno
Women of the Triangle Shirtwaist. The fire began at about 4:40pm in a fabric scrap bin, under a cloth cutters table in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. The factory produced blouses and employed mostly immigrant women. The fire, located on the 8th floor, was noticed by a passer by five minutes later, and soon people rushed to the scene in order to lend a hand.
The tenth floor was warned of the danger through a telephone system, but there was no way to warn those on the ninth floor, who continued working until they themselves noticed the smoke coming through the windows.
As can be expected, the workers all displayed great haste in wanting to leave the path of the flames, which would soon engulf the upper three floors occupied by the factory. Many people crammed into the elevators to escape, while others made way to the fire escapes and emergency doors.
The tenth floor was warned of the danger through a telephone system, but there was no way to warn those on the ninth floor, who continued working until they themselves noticed the smoke coming through the windows.
As can be expected, the workers all displayed great haste in wanting to leave the path of the flames, which would soon engulf the upper three floors occupied by the factory. Many people crammed into the elevators to escape, while others made way to the fire escapes and emergency doors.
The emergency stairs buckled and broke under the weight. Unfortunately, the emergency escape doors were all locked. The factory had a policy of checking all the women's purses as they left, to make sure no one was thieving the clothing. Due to this policy, the majority of the doors were kept locked so the women would have to wait till someone was present to check their bags at the end of the shift.
Many of the working women pounded on the doors in order to draw attention, to get them opened. Unfortunately the foreman who held the keys had made a run for it, as soon as he noticed the smoke, leaving everyone trapped on the upper floors.
The elevators moved excruciatingly slow so many of the workers made their way to external fire escape stairwells, but within a matter of minutes one was blocked at both ends due to flames. Everyone rushed to the other stairwell, and in their panic at fleeing the fire, they over crowded it. The flimsy metal construction crumpled under their combined weight, sending 25 people to their deaths on the pavement below.
Two elevator operators continued working the elevators as long as they could. The first of these elevators stopped running when the heat buckled the guide rails of his elevator. The second elevator continued running until the operator began hearing loud thumps and bangs coming from above.
Many of the working women pounded on the doors in order to draw attention, to get them opened. Unfortunately the foreman who held the keys had made a run for it, as soon as he noticed the smoke, leaving everyone trapped on the upper floors.
The elevators moved excruciatingly slow so many of the workers made their way to external fire escape stairwells, but within a matter of minutes one was blocked at both ends due to flames. Everyone rushed to the other stairwell, and in their panic at fleeing the fire, they over crowded it. The flimsy metal construction crumpled under their combined weight, sending 25 people to their deaths on the pavement below.
Two elevator operators continued working the elevators as long as they could. The first of these elevators stopped running when the heat buckled the guide rails of his elevator. The second elevator continued running until the operator began hearing loud thumps and bangs coming from above.
Some jumpers hit so hard they broke through the sidewalk. People looking for a way out of the fire started to jump down the elevator shafts, in the hope of landing on the elevator roof. The roof did in fact catch the jumpers, but the distance proved to be too great. These jumpers fell to their deaths, buckling the elevator and causing it to also stop running.
With the fire escapes all blocked by fire or collapsed, the elevators not working and the other exits locked, people made their way to the roof or windows in order to put distance between themselves and the fire. Soon, as the fire spread to the outer reaches of the buildings, people had two choices – allow themselves to be overcome by smoke and fire, or jump the thirty meters and hope to be caught by the firemen's nets below – their ladders unable to reach beyond the sixth floor.
The first few jumpers made it safely. A man was witnessed helping women make the decision by escorting them out of a window and dropping them safely to the net below. Unfortunately the nets could take only so many impacts and soon started to break. At times workers jumped in twos and threes, which was too much for the nets to handle.
In all 146 people died as a result of the fire. 129 were women and 17 were men. Around 60 of these were located on the sidewalk where they jumped or fell. Six of the victims were not identified initially and were only finally identified in 2011, a full hundred years after the tragedy.
With the fire escapes all blocked by fire or collapsed, the elevators not working and the other exits locked, people made their way to the roof or windows in order to put distance between themselves and the fire. Soon, as the fire spread to the outer reaches of the buildings, people had two choices – allow themselves to be overcome by smoke and fire, or jump the thirty meters and hope to be caught by the firemen's nets below – their ladders unable to reach beyond the sixth floor.
The first few jumpers made it safely. A man was witnessed helping women make the decision by escorting them out of a window and dropping them safely to the net below. Unfortunately the nets could take only so many impacts and soon started to break. At times workers jumped in twos and threes, which was too much for the nets to handle.
In all 146 people died as a result of the fire. 129 were women and 17 were men. Around 60 of these were located on the sidewalk where they jumped or fell. Six of the victims were not identified initially and were only finally identified in 2011, a full hundred years after the tragedy.
All for $20
This photo played a major part in factory safety reforms. The company’s owners, who had fled at the first sign of the fire, were put up on charges of manslaughter, but were acquitted by the jury. When asked why they locked the doors preventing quick egress in emergency they replied it was to prevent theft. The amount of theft hoped to be prevented amounted to $20. Although that was a fair bit more money back in 1911, it still only amounted to two weeks of wages to one of the underpaid workers. All in all, a small amount for the company that instead resulted in 146 lives lost.
New work safety reforms were created as a result of the fire, including better access to exits and no more locking of doors during working hours. Even so, one of the factory owners was later arrested for locking the doors at another of his factories during working hours.
The building itself survived the fire and the upper most floors were refurbished to accommodate a library and classrooms for New York University. It is now known as the brown building, and is not without its resident ghosts.
Many of those who have visited or worked in the building since its refurbishment have felt in irrational sense of wanting to flee. The panic wells up within them, seemingly without reason, and many who unable to take it leave.
New work safety reforms were created as a result of the fire, including better access to exits and no more locking of doors during working hours. Even so, one of the factory owners was later arrested for locking the doors at another of his factories during working hours.
The building itself survived the fire and the upper most floors were refurbished to accommodate a library and classrooms for New York University. It is now known as the brown building, and is not without its resident ghosts.
Many of those who have visited or worked in the building since its refurbishment have felt in irrational sense of wanting to flee. The panic wells up within them, seemingly without reason, and many who unable to take it leave.
Many arrived to help identify bodies. Disembodied screams have been reported in the afternoons towards the end of the work day. A woman has been seen fleeing down one of the hallways of the 8th floor, and also appears out of nowhere in one of the bathrooms.
On the ninth floor, just as you leave the elevator there is a tall rectangular mirror. At times, those who look in the mirror do not recognise the person who is looking back. Generally the similar features are there, the clothes are the same and the stance is the same but the head and face flicker, as if being viewed through a flame.
On the ninth floor, just as you leave the elevator there is a tall rectangular mirror. At times, those who look in the mirror do not recognise the person who is looking back. Generally the similar features are there, the clothes are the same and the stance is the same but the head and face flicker, as if being viewed through a flame.
Ashley Hall 2013
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