Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-07-23
BINGHAMTON HORROR
WILDLY RECALLS FIRE
AT NEWARK FACTORY
In Both Cases Buildings We're
Death Traps That Burned
Like finder.

Memories of the High street fac
tory fire on November 26, 1910. when
twenty-six persons lost their lives,
are wildly recalled today by the
Binghamton, N. Y, holocaust, in
which more than fifty persons met
death. In both cases nearly all OF
those who were killed were young
girls, and the buildings in which they
were employed were such antique
structures that they burned like tin
der. once the fire was started in
them.
The victims were employed by the
Binghamton Clothing Company.
Many of the girls killed in the High
street disaster were employed by the
Wolfe Enlargement Company and
others by the Newark Paper Box
Company. In the moment of danger
both factories proved to be fire.
traps of the worst kind, with insult
fcient flre-escapes and a narrow,
wooden stairway as the only avenue
of escape from the driving fire.
Pay Penalty of DIsobedience.
Whatever chance of escape the
Binghamton girls had it was con-
siderably lessened when they failed
to respond to the fire alarm, think
ing it was but the signal for another
of their numerous fire drills.
In the factory at 216-218 High
street, there were no fire drills and
at the first alarm the girls made a
wild scramble for the narrow exits.
The narrowing scenes attending
the frantic efforts of the young wom-
en- to escape from the fire-trap will
not soon be forgotten by Newarkers.
Practically the same circumstances
attended the Binghamton fire. At
ter the inadequate fire-escapes were
filled the half-crazed girls In both
cases leaped to their death from the
third and fourth stories, choosing
to be mangled rather than burned to
death.
In both fires number of girls
tainted at the first alarm and never
had a chance to escape. The CHASTITY
evidence of this fact at High street
was the bodies of several girls found
burned to a crisp while sitting at
their sewing machines.
NeWarkerS RESPOND generously.
After the High street fire the grand
jury investigated and censured the
fire department and State depart
ment of Labor for allowing such fire.
traps as the High street factory to
exist. Another feature of the affair
was the ready and generous response
of Newarkers to appeals for financial
aid for the crippled victims and rela-
tives of the dead
The Binghamton disaster also re-
calls the Triangle fire in New York
city on March 26, 1911. One hundred
and forty-six lives were lost in that
disaster. Those killed were all en-
ployed by Harris & Blanck, proprie-
tors of the Triangle Shirtwaist
Company, with lofts on the eighth,
ninth and tenth floors of the Asch
building, at Greene street and Wash
ington place.
During that fire 1873 persons were
killed outright, having been penned
in the burning building or killed by
jumping or falling from windows.
Both the Triangle fire and the High
street factory here occurred on a
Saturday.
A coroner's jury declared that Max
Blanck and Isaac Harris, proprietors,
were responsible for the deaths, as
one of the doors leading to the stairs
was locked. Piled against this door
were the bodies of a number of girls
who had tried in vain to beat down
the barrier to their escape
Blanck and Harris were tried on a
charge of manslaughter before Judge
Grain in General Sessions. The trial
lasted from December to December
2S, 1911, when the proprietors were
acquitted.