New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-07
SMOKE KILLS POLICEMAN.
HAD WARNED TENANTS.
OUercOme While Trying to Escape
Blaze an Naething'S Basement.

Patrolman Frank ]. Redican. of the Old Slip
station. lost his life last night at fire in the
basement of Naething's restaurant and bakery,
Nos. 11S-120 Fulton-st. Redican discovered
smoke coming from the basement of the build
ing and turned in alarm from the box at
Fulton and William SITS. He then returned 10 the
building TO the tenants Of their danger
The building filled with smoke, but most of
the tenants had been warned.
When Redican reached the third floor he went
into several bedrooms. In one he found a man
dressing and told him to get out The man got
downstairs safely. AS he went down he saw
Redican making for the rear Of the building
An hour later Redican was found unconscious
IN the -lavatorz at the rear of the third foorr
1t is thought that he partly overcome and
pushed his way into the Iavatory thinking he
was going out Of the room. The lavatory was
filled with smoke and he could not make his way
out again. Redican was found by Lieutenant
MCGOWAN and Fireman Devlin of Engine Com
pany No. 81.
They carried him down 10 a room on the sec
ond floor and an ambulance was called from the
Hudson Street Hospital. Before it arrived sew
eral fremen and policemen worked over the
man. but were unable to restore him TO con-
sciousness. DIR. Wells. of the Hudson Street
Hospital. equally unsuccessful Redican
had been on the force about year, and had an
excellent record.
Fireman John J. O'ConneIl of Engine Com
pany No. Z. was overcome by smoke while work
ing in the basement. and was removed to the
Hudson Street Hospital.
The building in which the fire occurred is four
stories high. and connects at the rear, forming
an Il" with the building at No II Dutch-st
The upper floors of the Fulton-st. building are
occupied by about fifteen men employees and the
DJltpb bufl nv he
housekeeper. and seven women employees. John
K. Miller Mary O'Connen and Lottie Maher
were in the reception room, the third floor
when they discovered the smoke in the halwa Us
and gave the alarm All got out in safety.
The fire was at the rear OF the basement and
Acting Chief Kruger of the Fire Department
says he believes it was caused by an overheated
oven or defective electric light wiring. The
blaze was stubborn. and two alarms were sent
in. The firemen had much trouble with the
electric wires. Chief Kruger ordered the current
turned off but there much delay
The fire was restricted entirely to the base
ment O'ConnelI, with Firemen Helm and Nc
Carthy, was standing in about two feet of water
holding a hose. when he overcome. He fell
to the floor and his head went under the water
To rescue him Helm and Mccarthy were forced
to drop the line The hose writhed like A snake
and tripped up Mccarthy as he was about to
pick UP O'Conneu Other t1remen went 10 the
rescue and O'Connell was carried out into the
air. He had swallowed water IN ADDITION TO the
smoke and a hurry call was sent for ambu-
lance Dr. Wells worked over him for about
fifteen minutes and then took him to the hos
pital.
Redican was twenty nine years old, single
and lived at No. 36 Rose-st.
II was learned later that the door to the lava
tory in which Redcan was found closed with
spring lock 1t is thought that he acci-
dentaily closed the door and was so far over
come that he could not find the lock
He was appointed to the force by Commits
sioner Partridge on November 2S 1902. He
lived at No. 46 Rose-st His record was clean
and Captain Farrell speaks In the highest terms
of his work as a patrolman. He was clerk be-
fore he went the force