One hundred years ago today, the Triangle Shirtwaist fire killed 175 people who were either trapped or leapt to their death to escape the flames. The fire started at the end of the work day and as mostly immigrant garment workers tried to escape, their way was blocked by a locked door. It took only 18 minutes to get the fire under control but it was too late. The 1911 fire became the touchstone for organized labor. Pictures of the aftermath are here, books on the tragedy are below.
