"Thud-dead, thud-dead, thud-dead, thud-dead. Sixty-two thud-deads. I call them that, because the sound and the thought of death came to me each time, at the same instant. There was plenty of chance to watch them as they came down.

The height was eighty feet. The first ten thud-deads shocked me. I looked up-saw that there were scores of girls at the windows. The flames from the floor below were beating in their faces. Somehow I knew that they, too, must come down, and something within me-something that I didn't know was there-steeled me.

Read the whole story about the Triangle Shirtwaste Fire.

It's happened again. This time only 112, so far. As with many fires like this there were no fire escapes.

When you buy clothing look for the union label. At least you will know the workers were not treated like animals.

Nov 25, 2012 -- 11:49PM, mainecaptain wrote:

How horrible. I always try to buy Union made. and made in the USA. I always check labels. I fully support union workers

At least you know the workers are not mistreated. Many companies here in the USA are treating workers in dishonest ways. Twinkies is a good example. The company that bought that baking company 20 years ago did so with borrowed money. The new owners, as the new executive officers, gave themselves a 300% pay raise and demanded, twice, lower wages for the workers. Of course that was not enough income to pay the higher executive salaries and pay off the debt, so they went into bankruptcy, raided the pension fund so that those working there for 30 or more years will have no retirement money, and again demanded lower wages for the workers. This time the workers said no way and the execs locked them out and are now closing the business.

Profits are fine but ruining lives to make a profit is immoral.

Nov 26, 2012 -- 12:11AM, mountain_man wrote:

Profits are fine but ruining lives to make a profit is immoral.

somehow I'm missing the point here... people are supposed to care enough to actually DO something about it?

the system is not about to change, until it is so disfunctionally broken that it's considered dead.

Buried near the end of this article, we read:

"Bangladesh's garment factories make clothes for brands including Wal-Mart, JC Penney, H&M, Marks & Spencer, Carrefour and Tesco."

If we want to do any boycotting during this gluttonous and materialistic "Christmas season," here's a good list of six stores to start with (though I've never heard of the last four stores). 

The last "unknown" victims of the Triangle shirtwaist tragedy were finally identified by DNA from relatives last year. Family stories about a missing family member finally solved things. In some cases, several family members worked there. Years after that tragedy, one of the partners was fined for keeping the exit doors locked to make sure no one smuggled out a scrap of lace. He was still more concerned with theft than human lives.

The reason there were no sprinklers in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory--although they were available at the time--is because the owners carried heavy fire insurance and had prior fires that took place late at night on the weekend when no one was there and there just happened to be a surplus of last years styles on hand. The building still stands and is in use today.

When companies go where labor is cheap and worker safety isn't even a consideration, just profits--these tragedies will continue to happen.  That place was a disaster waiting to happen, and people should boycott those brands to prove there is still going to be accountability for the tragic, preventable loss of lives.