Today, March 25, 2020 is the 109th Anniversary of the Triangle Factory Fire. Fourth graders in conjunction with our historical immigration curriculum learned about this tragic event, the activism that it inspired, and the changes for the better that occurred as a result. The “Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition” is a group working to continue to honor the victims of this event with a more substantial memorial than the one that currently exists. We can imagine poetry being a part of that project. For example:
Unexpected Turn
By Joshua
The cutters were smoking
Now the building is smoking
The flames were burning the building
That was not nice
The building probably had mice
And they died
And also
You know what is a mess?
Is the fact that the seamstresses
Were paid less.
And the lights from the fire
Really hurt their eyes
Smoking should not be allowed
And that is a fact
Because you know that the people
Who died in the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire
Want their lives back
To the 146 people that died in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire.
This Afternoon
By Mia Taylor
The gray clouds loom over
The dismal Saturday afternoon
Everywhere
People in their fancy clothes
Rush to work
or home
And the chirping birds
sing a song of harmony
With the accompaniment
Of the bells
And the
Honks
Then
On that
Saturday afternoon
Commotion broke out
The fire burns
People scream
Something falls,
A bundle of a girl
Scared so she jumped
Still the fire burns
What happened?
The Fire burns
The firemen come
Still the fire burns
The people push
On the door
Of freedom
The key is lost
Still the fire burns
The fire escape is open
It breaks
Under the weight
Still the fire burns
10th floor is
Alerted
They climb Up to
The Roof
Getting help
From the Students
In the Building over there
But only them
Still the fire burns
After that half hour
Perished that fire
But it Still burns
In our hearts
The Workers’ Demise
By Gabby
It was a lovely March day.
Birds chirping, and flowers blooming.
Not knowing danger and pain were just around the corner.
We were getting ready to leave,
But suddenly, we smelled smoke.
Someone alerted us,
That it was a fire,
And we all had to leave as fast as possible.
We crowded into an elevator,
And we left the building,
And went onto the street.
The fire was burning,
And people were screaming,
Crowds gathered around the building.
Eventually the firemen came,
And they put up the ladders,
But the ladders were too short,
And the fire was too strong.
The fire was burning,
People were screaming
Crowds gathered around the building
They tried to use nets.
But they broke,
As did the fire escape.
And to everyone’s horror ,
People were taking their lives,
By jumping out the windows,
So they would not feel the pain of burning to death.
They eventually put it out,
But so many lives were already lost.
The fire was still burning in my memory,
And the screaming haunted my dreams for the rest of my life.
After witnessing that terrifying event,
I realized I was no longer a child.
I never forgot what happened that day,
And I never will.
So Sad
by Olivia
It was a beautiful spring day
With birds chirping
But suddenly
flames burst out of the windows
Of the Triangle ShirtWaist Factory
bundles of cloth falling from the windows
People’s piercing screams fill the air
So sad
So sad
One hundred and forty six immigrants
Died that horrible day
March 25, 1911
Making clothes for the rich
They were locked in they couldn’t get out
They jumped out of windows
To try and save themselves
So sad
So sad
Someone could have helped
If they had called firefighters sooner
If they had tried to tell people on the 9th floor
If they had not been locked in
So sad
So sad
Birds are Chirping
By Cooper
I’m sitting at a park, birds are chirping
Nice calm day, birds are chirping
The sun is beaming down on me slowly getting darker
Birds are flying
This dark does not feel normal
It is evil
It is smoke coming from the big Asch Building
Someone from the building says
“Help, help the building’s on fire we can’t get out we must go higher”
Then firemen crowd on the scene saying “no, no you must not go you can’t go high you must get low
They raise their ladders but they are too short
They firemen say we can’t get to you
You gotta jump
So they crowd on the fire escapes, hoping to see their family again but then crack tumble, tumble, tumble boom
The fire escape brakes and the fire spreads and it is too late for those 146 men and woman
As another day rises so do the people as the smoke cleared so do the people
And after the laws were passed so do the people
And after every thing was said and done
the birds are still flying
And after all the changes were made it still doesn’t change their tragic fate
The Fire
By Sam
So calm,
So peaceful,
And then the fire.
The burning building illuminated like
a big jack o lantern.
Ahhhhh
Scared
Desperate
Worried
Trapped
People jump in hope of survival
9th floor completely
Oblivious
No direct phone line
Seals their fate
Harris and Blanck
On the roof
Watch as their factory
Becomes no more
30 minutes
Lots of damage
Fire escapes
T
U
M
B
L
E
To the ground
Down,
Down,
Down.
The inside burns
The outside doesn’t.
The workers smoke
Fabric on the ground
Cigarettes
Light it up
The law school
People
help harris and blanck
Ladders on the roof
Save their lives
146
Dead
7
Unidentified
So sad
New laws
Better conditions and
Doors unlocked
120,000
march for the dead
It is safe now.
Cobblestones. Trees. Wind.
By Jules
Cobblestones.
Trees.
Wind.
Saturday.
4:45 pm.
That’s when it all began.
Scream.
Shout.
Flames arise from the trash.
Acting quickly, workers try to stop the fire.
Water.
Not enough.
Fire spreads, as workers run to the elevator,
but not everyone can fit.
Up and down the
elevator goes.
But there is something
that nobody knows.
Nobody…
Running to the door,
many and many more,
hands reaching for the brass handle.
But the door is locked.
And they are stuck.
From below the flame,
down low, a bundle of cloth falls.
But that is no cloth…
That is a girl that jumped out the window.
To flee from the fire.
April 5th.
1911.
120,000 people marched in honor of 7 unidentified victims.
Cobblestones.
Trees.
Wind.
The End
The Fire
By Emmett
The cutters started it
They were smoking just like the building now
On flames
People frightened everywhere
Flames spreading
Firefighters could not reach
So the people did the risk
They jumped
Flames spreading
It did not go so well
Fatal to most
Lots of dead people
146 to be precise
The building was toast
Flames spreading
But one good thing came out of that
Safe home for us at last
We must move on
By Cali
It was a normal day
in the Asch building,
We must move on.
The fabric cutters were smoking,
The paper caught on fire,
A worker smelled smoke,
there was commotion,
we must move on.
There were calls from
floor to floor,
There was banging
On the door,
We must move on.
There were screams
From the fear,
There were fire escapes
Crashing to the ground,
we must move on.
There were sirens wailing,
There were horses neighing and
Hooves clopping on the street,
We must move on.
There were trolley bells flailing,
there was smoke, there were ladders
only reaching to the 6th floor,
there were nets,
we must move on.
It took about half an hour
to put out the fire,
Many lives were lost,
We must move on.
This day has been remembered
And will be remembered forevermore,
We must move on.
WE MUST MOVE ON.
The Fire
By Charlie
I see
Bundles of cloth falling,
Roaring flames,
Firefighters reaching,
Fingers pointing,
Smoke rising from ashes,
Commotion,
Angry people,
People in fear,
I hear
Trolly bells,
Screaming,
Birds chirping,
Neighing,
Clopping hooves,
Roaring flames,
People crying,
Anger,
I feel
Pain,
Sadness,
Anger,
Fear,
Oblivious
Concerned,
Anxiety
I see
Fire glow,
Clear sky,
Gray blocking the sun,
Dimmed lights,
Commotion on a happy day
By Ryan
Birds chirping,
Sun shining,
People playing,
Then suddenly, flames bursting,
People shouting
Fear, Sadness, and Pain
Sun Dimming,
Beautiful Birds flying away
Fear, Sadness, and Pain
Bundles of cloth falling from a 10 story building
Bells ringing
Horses clopping on the cobblestones
Cloppity, Clippity, Cloppity, Clap!!!!!!
Screaming, Crying
Oh, how many people crying,
BOOM!
Bundles of cloth have finally landed
Commotion
By Wally
So much commotion
People yelling
And screaming
Smoke everywhere
Sadness and
Desperation in
People’s faces
500 people
Trying to
Live 345
Just made
It out
Alive
146
Did not
it was
A tragic
Day for
All so
They had
To make
Laws and
Quickly So
They marched
And Marched.
Bright Glowing Flames
By Lucie
Bright glowing flames
People yelling names
“Rachel!” “Leah”!
Bright glowing flames
Yellow
Red
Orange
Bright glowing flames
One by one cloth falls from the window
Scared
Afraid
If the workers just obeyed
Bright glowing flames
Flames spread rapidly
Screams
Yelling in pain
Bright glowing flames
That’s why smoking is bad
That time period was very sad
Bright glowing flames
One hundred and forty six people died
Tragic
Bright glowing flames
Smoke from all over
Gray fog fills the air
Bright glowing flames
“Help!” people said yelling, burning in the glossy looking flames
Tears rolling down people’s faces
“Don’t go! Stay!” people yell from the old grounds of 1911
Bright glowing flames
Everywhere
Up
Down
Surrounded
Bright glowing flames
Firemen arrive
The ladder only reaches the 6th floor
Fire bells ring in the warm march day
“Go, run away!”
Some people say
Bright glowing flames
Some lived some died
Some died old
Some died young
Bright glowing flames
We are lucky now is now
And not then
The Fire
By Violet
Beautiful, normal day in 1911,
on a spring day, trolleys rolling down the bumpy Road
tall, tall buildings working and then…
A shout from a building “fire fire!” Trolleys ding-ing louder,
The wind pushed heavily and the fire grew.
People on the ground watching the tragic sights while
watching the
shadows of the people jumping out of the building.
Beautiful, normal day in 1911
The chaos they must have went through, the women getting their
coats, The men trying to save themselves.
The sacrifices they must have made, for it takes courage and
kindness to do that, but unfortunately
there weren’t many people who had that courage.
Saturday
By Amelia
Birds chirping
Nice day,
Nothing
On Saturday
Suddenly
Without warning,
Was a Fire
On Saturday
Who helped?
Who helped?
Who helped?
On Saturday
People screaming
Without a doubt,
Being terrified
On Saturday
Clip-clop of horses
Coming to them,
Firefighters trying to save them
On Saturday
Ladder too short
Jump out the window,
Bundles of “clothes” falling
On Saturday
After the fire
Return home,
Talk about the tragedy
On Saturday
Now a memorial
Not that memorable,
Some people pray there
On Saturday.
The Pains in Tragedies
by Chloe
It all started because of a cigarette Saturday Evening
Birds chirping
Workers smoking
End of work
Get going
Garbage bin on fire
Flammable fabric
Flash of red
Stools, baskets, people
All destroyed by fire
Pain
Fear
Desperate
Firefighters come
Bundles of clothes falling
Don’t get your coats!
Fingers pointing
Outside the fire
Building survives
People accused
Laws were passed
All because of a cigarette
Asch Building Fire
by Kinoti
It was a great tragedy for the United States
The people inside noticed too late
That a fire was raging inside
Some people hid and some tried to get out
But there was no doubt that they were caged in
All the deaths that happened
It was a tragedy
But because of it today
We can play, live, learn and feel safe
This afternoon
By Mia
The gray clouds loom over
The dismal Saturday afternoon
Everywhere
People in their fancy clothes
Rush to work
or home
And the chirping birds
sing a song of harmony
With the accompaniment
Of the bells
And the
Honks
Then
On that
Saturday afternoon
Commotion broke out
The fire burns
People scream
Something falls,
A bundle of a girl
Scared so she jumped
Still the fire burns
What happened?
The Fire burns
The firemen come
Still the fire burns
The people push
On the door
Of freedom
The key is lost
Still the fire burns
The fire escape is open
It breaks
Under the weight
Still the fire burns
10th floor is
Alerted
They climb Up to
The Roof
Getting help
From the Students
In the Building over there
But only them
Still the fire burns
After that half hour
Perished that fire
But it Still burns
In our hearts
Triangle Shirtwaist Fire
By Milo
The image was tragic
There was fire in the buildings
Fingers pointing everywhere
Bundles of clothes
Falling
Out of the building
Fingers were pointing everywhere
There screams
Coming from the
Top three floors
Horses clomping
Their feet loudly
Neighing from
The horses
Fingers were pointing everywhere
I have a few questions
For you
How hot was it on the
The top three floors?
Did Harris and Blanck
Actually want the
doors to be closed
I see gray from the fire
People were scared.
The Sky Will Clear Again
By Owen
What a beautiful day
The birds chirping,
The sky clear as the ocean,
But as I look around at the buildings
I notice smoke as I walk by.
I hear people screaming
Are these people in trouble?
I stand and stay back
As I fall over
As scared as ever.
The firefighters come
As I stare at the burning building.
Falling out the window
Screaming as the fall
all
the
way
down.
Now that the fire is finally calm
The birds sing once again,
And the sky is back to normal
And I think to myself,
Today was a very tragic day
The Fire Of the Shirtwaist Factory
By Noah
Birds are chirping
Men dressed in black suits
With matching pants
Are swarming around
Like ants
In an ant farm
Birds are chirping
There are woman too
Dressed in shirtwaists
And dresses
Clip clop clip clop
Younger ones are heading home from work
Joining the ant farm
Birds are chirping
When someone smelled
Smoke
Shadows are unsteadily
Shaking
as fire
Glows
Crackle pop boom! Crackle pop boom!
Birds are chirping
Bundles of cloth
are rapidly descending
from rectangular holes
In the brick building
The bundles descend
In groups of
One
Two
Three
And four
Birds are chirping
Who will help?
The fire lights up the slowly darkening sky
As the fire goes on
The night is as light as the day
But even brighter
Birds are chirping
Men coming from a red truck
Have come
Their large webs
Are not enough
Birds are chirping
The long line
of black unsteady stairs
Collapse
Under the weight
Of the men
Trying to save all the people
But it was still not enough
Birds are chirping
The men fell from the stairs
Already knowing
They were risking their lives
They got out their ladders
But it only reached so far
Birds are chirping
The calamity seems to go on forever
But the fire
Only lasted
Thirty minutes
It seems that the birds
Will not stop chirping
But even though
Birds are chirping