The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1911-03-28
PROBE GOTHAM'S
FIRE DISASTER
Officials Seek to Place Re.
spoons'ibt'iiillEity for Horror.
BUILDING WAS A FIRETRAP

useless ana doors opened lnWardS,
in Violation of Law-Many Of the
One Hundred and Forty-two Victims
Are Disfigured Beyond Recognition,
New York, March 2S.-Facing the
fact that there are not less than $50
loft buildings in Manhattan alone
which are veritable firetraps and that
horror exceeding that of Saturday
afternoon, which cost 142 lives when
the plant of the, Triangle Waist com
pany was destroyed, is possible at any
time, Immediate plans to remedy this
situation were set on foot
At the same time the district at
torney's and coroner's offices started
an inquiry to place the blame for Sat
urday's holocaust.
1t is certain that the fault was not
alone negligence of individuals, but
laxity in the laws and that it will be
necessary to appeal to the legislature
for action. -.-.r 4.
District Attorney Whitman said he
intended to have the grand jury make
a sweeping investigation, which will
be entirely independent of that of the
coroner. He intends that the blame
shall be squarely placed and if Grim.
inal negligence is proved the persone
responsible will be punished. He has
assigned Assistant District Attorneys
Bostwick, Manley and Rubin to con-
duct the various sections of the in
Quiry. s--S
He intimated he is also in posses
sion of information that indicated the
inspection of the Office and factory
buildings of the city have been Grim.
inauy lax.
Doors Opened inwards.
Whitman's inspection of the build
Ing has shown criminal negligence on
somebody's part. The big doors lead
ing to the stairways were reinforced
with iron and opened inwards, so that
those who tried to open them were
penned against them. Chief Croker
and Deputy Chief Binns reported to
the district attorney that they found
charred bodies piled in front of the
doors on the ninth floor, showing that
dozens of girls had rushed straight
for the doors, but the first Corners
failed to get the doors back and i'm
mediately the pressure from behind
made it impossible to get the exits
open.
The law specifically states that
such doors shall open outwardly
where ever practicable" and the fire
department officials unite in saying
that these doors could as easily have
been arranged to open that way as
1nwardly.
The law also says tn at the factory
doors and exits must be left unlocked
during working hours; but the sur
vivors of the horror unite in assert
ing that it was the rule of the pro-
prietors of the Triangle factory to
have all the doors securely locked.
AS an excuse, they say this was
necessary, as employees would report
for work and then leave without let
ting any one know, only returning to
report off duty.
Inside Fire Escape Useless.
The single "inside'' fire escape in
the building has been photographed
for use in the grand jury investiga-
ton. It is so narrow that only one
person could descend at time, and
was of the kind characterized by the
tremen as utterly useless. So called
f1reproof buildings, in which category
the Asch building was, are required
to install fire escapes in the 'discre-
ton" Of the city building department.
The officials never compelled the in
stallation of any on this structure.
While preparations for fixing the
responsibility for the horror went on
apace, the various charitable organi-
cations and civic bodies started out to
care for the destitute dependents of
the victims and to bury the dead. -
Mayor Gaynor headed a subscrip-
ton list to be distributed through the
Red Cross committee of the charity
organization society. The various
newspapers also prepared to raise
funds, as did the Ladies' Waist and
Dress makers union, with which a
number Of the dead were affiliated.
This latter organization also prepared
to bury the unidentified dead. -
OF the 142 bodies that had been
taken to the morgue up to noon Sun
day, when it was decided all of the
dead had been recovered, all but fifty
three have been identified. All through
the night the old covered Charities
pier had been besieged by persons
whose loved ones were missing, but
most of the remaining bodies are so
terribly charred that Identification
seems impossible.
Work Of Identification.
A heavy rain that began to fall soon
after dark drove the mere curiosity
seekers away, but those who were
honestly seeking relatives or friends
stood in line, although in many in
stances, wet to the skin, until they
were permitted to enter.
All of the bodies had been placed i'm
pine boxes and where it was possible
the head had been elevated so that
recognition might be facilitated. AS
quickly as Identification was made the
lids were clamped on the collins and
they were placed at the rear of the
pier to await transfer by undertakers