The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1911-03-28
Fire In Tea-Slery Factory In New
York Saturday Allernosn
SCENES WERE HORRIBLE
Blazing Bodies Rain From Windows
to sIdewaIk-No Outside Escapes,
Girls Leap for Life and Break
Through Iron Roofs Of subecIIsrs---
Others Flattencd Upon the Flags.

New York, March 27.--0ne hundred
and fifty s--nine-tenths OF them
girls from the East Side--were crush
ed TO death on the pavements.. smoth-
cred by smoke. or shriveled crisp Sat-
|urday affegnoon In the worst fire New
York has known since the steamship
General Slocum was burned to the
waters edge on North Brothers Is
land In 1904.
Nearly all, IL not all, OF the victims
were employed by the Triangle Waist
company on the eighth. ninth and
tenth floors Of ten-story loft build
Ing al 20 Washington Place. on the
western fringe OF the downtown
Wholesale clothing, fur and millinery
district. The partners Of the firm.
Isaac Harris and Max Blanck. es-
cap4d unscathed from the Office on the
tenth floor. carrying with them over
an adjoining roof Blanck's two young
daughters and a goyerness. There
was not an outside fire escape on the
building.
Elevator Shafts CIogged.
How the fire started VIII perhaps
never be known. A corner on the
eighth floor was It's point OF origin
and the three upper floors only we're
swept. On the ninth floor fifty bodies
we're found: sixty-three or more per-
sons were crushed to death by jump
ing and more than thirty clogged the
elevator shafts. The loss to property
will not exceed 100000.
Pedestrians going home through
Washington Place 70 Washington
square az ten minutes TO i've were
scattered BY the whix OF something
rushing through the air before them:
there was a horrible plop on the pave
ment. and a body fiattened on the
fags. wayfarers on the opposite side
OF the street shaded their eyes against
the setting sun and say the windows
of the three upper floors Of the build
ing black with girls crowded to the
sslls. There was no fire escapes.
Don't jump. Don't iump." yelled
the crowd. But the girls had no
alternative. The pressure Of the mad
dened hundreds behind them and the
urging OF their own fears we're too
strong, They began to fall 20 the
sidewalk In a terrible rain OF flesh
and blood.
40 Bodies Side by Side.
When the sun rose Sunday morning
those were 40 bodies side BY side In
pine collins on the Charities pler AZ
the foot Of East Twcnty-slxth street.
ny noon the number had reached is1.
and OF these forty-nine had been iden-
llfcd.
They were the toll OF the half-honr's
flre which swept the shirt waist fac
tories IN the ten-story building. 20
Washington place. late Saturday.
They were the victims Of inadequate
iire escapes. Of a system that safe
guards steel and stone. but apparently
ignores flesh and blood.
A crowd which packed the street
from Third avenue. three long blocks
10 the pier. screamed and fought each
for. a chance TO look at the CHASTITY
forms on the dock.
Not since the Slocum holocaust. In
1906. have there been such awful
scenes. The victims OF that river d.
sasier we're placed on this same pier.
The sky was clear. boats moved up
and down the East river. church bells
we're ringing and thousands Of shriek-
Ing, swaying human Creatures. Wild
eyed, prayed in many tongues Tor a
chance 70 break into an open charnel
house.
Most Of them had stood there all
night. but sorrow is inyulnerable 10
physical distress, besides to most OF
them hunger was an old acquaintance.
They had come like 50 many sheep
from the scene Of the FIRE. A number
had witnessed the last few minutes Of
that horrible half-hour. had seen girls
huriIIng down ten stories TO crash
head first through a ilfe-net or To be
mashed like ralndrops on the asphalt
General Calamity.
These sights they dwelt upon. talk.
ed about. magnlhed. u they could BE-
masnlned. They imagined. each loi
his or her own daughter or sister. ths
li6rtnrc that had preceded the leap.
They gronned. they cried they beg
Krd for news while the ldcnthcatiOni
went on inexorably.
Deputy Commissioner Goodwin, 81
1.-THE department OF charities. tool
charge of the work. Tho entrance Il
the pier was closed and from twenty
10 forty Of the crowd we're admitted
al time.
The faces of these unfortunate ones
on receiving such permission. looked
not Of earth. They had been reckless
OF everything IN their efforts 10 sc
In. Once IN. fear overcame hope
IThcy dreaded 10 look. They passcs
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