On June 15 , 1904 , over 1,000 people , mostly German immigrant women and children , were killed when the excursion steamship '' General Slocum '' caught fire and sank . It is the city 's worst maritime disaster . On March 25 , 1911 , the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in Greenwich Village took the lives of 146 garment workers . In response , the city made great advancements in the fire department , building codes , and workplace regulations
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire
History of New York City