New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-07-23
ASCH BUILDING FIRE
CAUSED 147 DEATHS
Greatest Factory Disaster in
History of State Occurred
e Months Ago.
EMPLOYERS PUT ON TRIAL
Holocaust, 1t Was Charged in
Indictment, Was Due to
Lack of Outside Means
of Escape.

Fire Department officials here last night
said the fatal Binghamton blaze in some
ways resembled the Asch Building fire OF
March %, 1911.
The fire in the Triangle Waist Com
pany's factory in the Asch Building, at
Washington Place and Greene street
caused the death OF more persons than
any other factory fire In the history or
New York There were 17 girls and men
killed by fire and smoke and by leaplnS
from the windows OF the eighth and ninth
floors Of the building.
The great loss of life was due, it was
charged. to the lack of outside fire es-
canes A great crowd of panicstricken
girls and men damned the door on the
ninth floor which led TO a stairway,
where many We're trapped. There was an
inside fire escape I'm a shaft, but II be-
came TANNED. and more than fifty bodies
were found at the bottom Of this shaft
The fire started shortly before o'clock
I'm the afternoon, and II was believed,
was caused by match or a cigarette end
I'm a pile Of rags that lay on the floor in
a corner of a room on the ninth floor.
These rags were extremely infammable,
and the fire spread rapidly over the floor
and 10 piles of finished and unfinished
goods on tables.
There were two passenger and two
freight elevators in the building, and
when the alarm was given there was a
mad rush for the cars. When the work
ers found they could not all escape by
oct Of he
excitable Italians and Russians-made for
the windows on the Washington Place
side OF the building. Many, without
stopping. jumped 10 the street Others.
after the elevators had gone down,
Jumped into the elevator shafts.
The dead were piled Ugh in the street.
where they had fallen. Although firemen
and policemen called TO women at win
dows not to jump. many refused to heed
the warnings and went hurting TO their
death. Scores managed TO escape by the
four elevators before they were finally
disabled. Very few lives would have been
lost. It was said. II the main door on the
ninth floor leading to one OF the two
stairways rad not been locked or II II had
opened outward instead OF inward.
II was the failure OF this door 10 open
that brought about the arrest and trial OF
Isaac Harris and Max Blanck. of the Tri-
angle Waist Company. on charges Of man
slaughter At the trial II was shown that
the door was locked but the Jury was not
satisfied that either Of the members Of the
firm was aware Of the fact
The building, which belonged TO John
Asch. Of South Norwalk. Conn. was not
properly constructed. according TO Of
fcials Of the Building Department, and
should have had at least one more inside
stairway although the plans were APP
proved by Thomas J. Brady, Superinten-
dent Of Buildings, in 1900. when the build
Ing was erected. The stairways were pro-
tccted by four-inch terra Gotta wall, but
there were no fire walls
Edward Croker was chief ~ the Fire
Department at the time Of the Triangle
fire. and II was not long afterward that
he resigned. He said the calamity was
Just what he had been expecting for
long time. The large loss Of life. he said
was due entirely to the fact that there
we're no outside fire escapes.
Elevator men working In the Asch
Building proved 10 be the real heroes Of
the fire and by reason Of their bravery
scores OF lives were saved. The men were
Joseph Zltto and Joseph Casper. They
ran their cars until the machinery would
work no longer.