Thomas P. John, a 51-year-old city Transit Authority inspector, was killed late Saturday, October 10, when a fire broke out in the basement of his Elmont home.

His 16-year-old daughter, however, who was also home at the time, escaped unharmed.

It was that daughter, Anita John, who smelled smoke at about 11:30 p.m. in the one-story house on Cathy Court, and immediately began to investigate where it was coming from.

Having followed the trail of fumes to a basement door near the rear of the house, she opened the door only to be hit by a cloud of heavy soot and smoke.

She then ran immediately to a neighbor's house and called emergency personnel, informing them at the same time that her father had been sleeping in the basement.

Four engines from the Elmont Fire Department rushed to the house and quickly doused the flames, but sadly found that John, whose full name was Thomas Paihiyakal John, could not be saved. He was pronounced dead at 11:55 p.m.

Firefighters later said it appeared he had slept through the conflagration.

His wife, Aleyamma John, 54, was working at the time of the fire, and another daughter, Amy, 19, was also not at home.

According to family members, John had first come to this country in 1977, emigrating from his native India. In time, he landed his job with the Transit Authority, for whom he inspected subway cars.

Nassau Detective Ed Rogan said that the fire did not appear to be of suspicious origin, though the cause remained undetermined as this newspaper went to press.

In addition to his wife and daughters, John's survivors include a son, Alvin, who is presently studying law in Texas; his brothers, Thomas A. Thomas, George Thomas, and Philip Thomas; a sister, Sosamma Kurin, of Houston, Texas; and his mother , Annamma Thomas, of Kottayam, India.

A funeral for John was held at the St. Gregorious Indian Orthodox Church in North Valley Stream. He was buried in Maple Grove Cemetery in Kew Garden, Queens.