The sun., 1903-12-07
POLICEMAN KILLED AT A FIRE.
WENT BACK TO WAKE TENANTS
AND LOST HIS LIFE.
Blaze in the Fulton Street Bakery OF
Naething BrOthers-No Flames. but
Smoke Filled the Buiding--Fireman
Overcome-The Property Loss Small.

Neetnlng brOtnefS-NO FlameS, Dut
Smoke Filled the Building Fireman
Overcome-The Property Loss Small.
A fire which caused only 81 600 damage to
the bakery and lunch room OF Naething
Bros, at 1is and 12O Fulton street and 13
and is Dutch street, resulted In the death
o. policeman and nearly cost the life Of
a fireman last night The dead policeman
was Frank c. Redican OF the Old Slip sta
ton. The fire showed no flames
smokers the fremen call them.
Redican turned in the alarm and then
rushed into the building to save the lives
of number of women and men whom
he knew to be asleep on the top floor. He
was caught in the smoke on the third floor
and groped his way into closet, where his
body was found an hour later
Fireman Joseph Connell of Engine 7
was overcome in the smoke filled cellar
and fell in two feet of water. Two COM
rades stumbled over him and dragged
him, unconscious. to the street. He was
hurried to the Hudson street hospital, where
the doctors revived him.
The lunchroom faces on Fulton street
and the bake ovens occupy the cellar and
extend beneath the two buildings on Dutch
street The third floor of lls Fulton street
is occupied by Mrs Mary Richter the care
taker of the bakery, and the floor above and
the top floors of 1s and Is Dutch street are
used as sleeping quarters for the employees
No one was at work at O'Clock, when the
fire was discovered. Mary O'Connor and
Lottie Maher, two kitchen maids, were in
the sitting room on the third floor of the
T., ta1y tN vohn
Miller, boy who assists the walters, when
they smelled smoke.
The three ran downstairs to investigate.
and young Miller opened door leading to
the basement A volume Of smoke mot
him and the three ran back upstairs scream
ing. The two girls awakened Mrs. Richter,
who was asleep, and then ran with her to
the street, where they found Redican.
op ooTs whsTs sos he aroused M sen bakers S
who we're sleeping soundly. Then he ran
back to the third floor of the Fulton street
building to awaken four girls who were
asleep. All succeeded in cropping through
street. Nearly all of them were half clad
and they rushed for nearby office build
ing. where the janitor admitted them to
the warm corridor
Policeman Redican after turning in the
alarm rushed backsto the building, having
learned from the O'Connor and Maher
girls of the persons asleep on the upper
floors.
When the fremen arrived smoke was
issuing from both the Fulton street and
Immediately turned in SECOND alarm.
Which brought Acting Chief Kruger from,
Great Jones street.
The firemen broke into the cellar and a
The dense smoke soon sent them reeling
to the sidewalk. 1t was with great diff
Guilty that an entrance to the basement
on Dutch street was made owing to the
narrowness Of the sidewalk. A quantity OF
lard was stored in that part OF the build
ing.
After tho fremen had been forced out
OF the Fulton street basement a
fresh squad was sent in. Soon after they
had climbed down Firemen Heahn and
McCarty stumbled up the small ladder
carving Connell over whom they had
stumbled Or. Wells. who came with the
ambulance. said that Connel was in a seri-
GUS condition,
All the reserves Of the Old Slip station
had been hurried to the fire in command
of two sergeants and as many roundsmen.
After the fire was nearly under control
reporters, anxious to learn how 1t had
started, asked for Redican who. the SER
geant said, had the post.
"Redcan's gore 20 th" station to make
out his report" answered the roundsmen.
4 reporter who went to the station and
learned that Redican hGd not reported
came rushing back 20 the fire Just as Lieut..
Devlin stuck his head out Of the third floor
Of the Fulton street side and cried:
Get an ambulance, quick! There's
cop up here and guess he's dead
Devlin and Fireman McGraw had found
the unconscious form OF the policeman
in a closet on the third floor. This was
an hour after he was seen to enter the
building.
The closet was at the foot Of a fight OF
stairs and it is thought that Redican went
in there to escape the smoke. His arms
were stretched toward a small window
which was unopened His feet had pre-
vented the door from closing.
The two firemen carried him to the second
floor, where il was seen that the policeman
was still breathing. DR.. Wells, who had
taken Connell to the hospital, responded
to the second call and worked over Redican
for about ten minutes, when he turned TO
a crowd of policemen and said:
Its too late. Too bad he wasn't found
a few minutes sooner
Redicans body was taken to the Old
Slip station. He was 20 years old and had
been on the force year and eight days.
He lived with his parents at 40 Rose street.
The fire was put out after the first floor
Il a l.l