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Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire: the Aftermath

Identifying the Victims, Newspaper Coverage, Relief Efforts

By , About.com Guide

Identifying bodies at the morgue, after the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire.

Identifying bodies at the morgue, after the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire.

Courtesy Franklin Delano Roosevelt Library

After the Fire: Identifying the Victims

Bodies were taken to the Charities Pier on 26th Street at the East River. There, starting at midnight, survivors, families, and friends streamed past, trying to identify those who had died. Often, the corpses could only be identified by a dental filling, or shoes, or a ring. Members of the public, perhaps drawn from a morbid curiosity, also visited the makeshift morgue.

For four days, thousands streamed through this macabre scene. Six of the bodies were not identified until 2010-2011, almost 100 years after the fire.

After the Fire: Newspaper Coverage

The New York Times, in its March 26 edition, reported that "141 Men and Girls" had been killed. Other articles featured interviews with witnesses and survivors. The coverage fed the public's growing horror at the event.

After the Fire: Relief Efforts

Relief efforts were coordinated by a Joint Relief Comittee, organized by Local 25 of the ILGWU, the Ladies' Waist and Dress Makers' Union. Participating organizations included the Jewish Daily Forward, United Hebrew Trades, Women's Trade Union League, and the Workmen's Circle. The Joint Relief Committee also cooperated with efforts of the American Red Cross.

Relief was provided to help survivors, and also to help families of the dead and injured. In a time when there were few public social services, this relief effort was often the only support for the survivors and families.

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