In 1904 , the steamship '' General Slocum '' caught fire in the East River , killing 1,021 people on board . In 1911 , the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire , the city 's worst industrial disaster , took the lives of 146 garment workers and spurred the growth of the International Ladies ' Garment Workers ' Union and major improvements in factory safety standards
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire
New York City