The Triangle fire which occurred in the Asch building on the corner of Washington and Greene St. (The site which is now Washington Square) was one of the worst factory fires in New York history. It occurred on March 25, 1911. This blaze killed a total of 146 women and girls, and injured hundreds more. This fire later led to a huge American labor movement to fight for the government to ensured safe workplaces. This fire also led to the issuance of today’s labor laws that protect factory workers in health, disability, and fire prevention.
This fire was a tragedy not only towards the victims, and their famillies, but it also affected all New Yorkers. There were drives to raise money for those familiers who lost mothers, sisters, wives, etc.  The mayor (Gaynor) contributed $100 which is equivalent to about $2000 in today’s money.  There was a touching letter written by a child along with $10. It read:
                 I went down town with my daddy yesterday to see that terrible fire where all the   littel girls jumped out    of high  windows. My littel cousin Beartrice and I are   sending you five dollars a piece our savings bank to help them out of the trubbel   please give it to the right one to use it for somebody whose littel girl jumped out   of a window I woulden’t like to jump out of a window myself.
 
 

             The New York legislature, who were very upset over the events that led to the fire, created a commission, which was headed by then Senator Robert F. Wagoner, Alfred E Smith ( in which a high school is named after in the Bronx), and Samuel Gompers (also named for a high school in the Bronx) to be in charge of the investigations of the conditions in sweatshops.
The division of Fire Prevention was also created as part of the Fire Department. Their function was to rid factories of fire hazards, and there were also new restrictions put into play also. All doors must now open outwards, they are not to be locked during school hours, there msut also be sprinkler systems if a company employs more than 25 people above the ground floor. Fire drills are also now mandatory for buildings lacking sprinkler systems.
 

How did the fire begin? And what happened that day?
        There is still specualtion as to how the fire started in the first place. It is believed that one of the men was smoking and threw a match or a cigarette onto the clutter-filled floor.
 The fire was discovered during the end of the work day. At around a quarter to five, as the girls who worked for Issac Harrism and Max Blanck were gathering their belongings, someone yelled out “Fire!”. In a panic women and girls who worked at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company jumped out of windows to save themselves form the fire. They instead jumped to their deaths. Others jumped on elevators and staricases. Due to the amount of panic stricken women the doors slammed shut locking them inside. Unfortunately, the doors opened inwards, instead of towards the outside. Only 10 passengers were able to fit in the elevators, but that still wasn’t enough. There was finally a time when the door was opened, but this didn’t nearly stop the tregedy of that March 25th 1911. Women jumped from floors as high as the eighth floor, they jumped on top of elevator cars to escape the huge blaze. The fire escape could not do nearly as much justice for the hundreds of women in that building. It was one of the most horrendous events that New York City had ever witnessed.
 

What has become of the Factory?
        The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory is now part of the New York University.