In the weeks that followed, the grieving city identified the dead, sorted out their belongings, and reeled in numbed grief at the atrocity that could have been averted with a few precautions. The International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union proposed an official day of mourning. The grief-stricken city gathered in churches, synagogues, and finally, in the streets.

See documents:
What is to be Done? by Martha Bensley Bruere
The Mournful Song of the Great Fire (text)
The Mournful Song of the Great Fire (original in Yiddish)

Protesting voices arose, bewildered and angry at the lack of concern and the greed that had made this possible. The people demanded restitution, justice, and action that would safeguard the vulnerable and the oppressed. Outraged cries calling for action to improve the unsafe conditions in workshops could be heard from every quarter, from the mainstream conservative to the progressive and union press.

See documents:
We Have Found You Wanting by Rose Scheiderman
Hostile Employers, American Federationist, May 1911

Workers flocked to union quarters to offer testimonies, support mobilization, and demand that Triangle owners Harris and Blanck be brought to trial. The role that strong unions could have in helping prevent such tragedies became clear. Workers organized in powerful unions would be more conscious of their rights and better able to obtain safe working conditions.

See documents:
Echoes, Ladies' Garment Worker, September 1911
Agitation, Ladies' Garment Worker, October 1911

Last Update: 29 Apr 2003