The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-07-09
Thf 4neside.
New YOrk's Ambulance Service.

Walking up or down Broadway you are
apt to hear suddenly the sharp strokes OF
bell. They come swiftly nearer. The
numbering trucks and omnibuses draw
away to either side. The stroke of the
bell rings loudly right at your side, and in
a moment light covered vehicle dasbes
past you. Barely an instant later the bell
is striking far ahead of you, and the
wagon has disappeared into side street,
or is hidden from view by the trucks and
omnibuses which have again taken full
possession of the roadway. You may
have had time to read Ambulance on
the light vehicle as it dashed down the
street, and to have caught sight OF young
man wearing an official cap.
AS you walk on your progress may be
checked by a crowd that has gathered
around something on the sidewalk. Near
the curb you see the ambulance. In
little while the crowd falls back, and the
young man with the official cap gives an
order. Something is raised from the
sidewalk and carried slowly toward the
wagon. AS the stretcher is lifted into the
ambulance you catch glimpse of poor
agonizsd face (the face may be of little
girl or boy); the young man takes his
seat again, the driver grasps the reins,
you hear the sharp strokes of the bell
once more, and the ambulance drives back
to the hospital. If your curiosity is ex-
cited, you may read in next mornings
paper how lad was caught and lacerated
by the machinery of the factory in which
he worked, or how poor delicate girl
was crushed by one of the numbering
trucks or omnibuses, and how she lay
there exposed to the stare of the curious
crowd till she was taken by the smbu-
lance to some hospital--most likely, if the
the accident occurred downtown, to the
Chambers street branch of the New York
Hospital.
One day as the writer was standing in
the waiting room of this branch of the
uptown hospital, known as the Chambers
Street Hospital, conversing with one of
the ambulance surgeons on the subject Of
this article, there was sudden jingling
of the bell in the basement.
"Thats fire alarm? Ring up the
ambulance " called the surgeon.
Before the jingling had stopped, or the
surgeon had finished the or der, the super
intendent had turned switch on the sig
nal instrument.
"That brings the ambulance from our
stables to the door," said the surgeon.
"The jingling you heard comes from
police headquarters. 1t simply tells us
that there's fire in our district, and to
be prepared for another call in case of
accident. Here's the ambulance"
1t came rafting down the street, and
with quick turn fetched up at the door.
The surgeon while speaking had put on
his cap. As he had stretched his arm to
take it down from the peg, the flop of his
coat lifted somewhat, and disclosed a
small leather case, evidently for surgical
instruments, protruding from the inside
pocket. The superintendent, who had
been listening at the telephone, said they
had telephoned from police headquarters
that the fire was on Broadway, near
Canal street.
Just then a succession of sharp strokes
was given on the bell in the basement.
"One, two, three, four" counted the
surgeon, as the bell went on striking,
until he had told twenty. "There's been
an accident at the fire, and they want an
ambulance. Come along"
We rushed down the steps, and before
we were in the seat in the back of the
ambulance the bell near the drivers seat
was ringing out sharply, and We were
speeding along.
As we dashed up the street every vehi.
Gle, whether it was going the same direc
ton with us or coming toward US, pulled
out of our way. That little bell seemed
to have a magical effect. Burly, surly
drivers, who would have cursed like
troopers in Broadway jam, hauled up to
the curb, and the light wagon went spin
ming along on straight line till it met
one of the United States mail carts. Then
the ambulance turned out as any ordinary
vehicle would have done. Speeding ny
Broadway it had perfectly clear track
"It's as likely at fire to be thigh in
jury as any other" said the surgeon, az
he drew out some long splints from thu
mattress in the bottom of the wagon
"These are for such injuries. In thil
bag" pointing to bag that hung from
the side of the wagon cover, "we have
smaller splints. But here we are."
Barely few minutes had elapsed since
we had left the hospital, yet the sizzling
of the fire engines told us that we were
within the fire line. In moment thu
ambulance had stopped and backed up tt
the sidewalk. We had jumped from oul
seat. The body of the wagon slantet
toward the curb, and in an instant tn,
mattress was slid out on to the walk. 4
falling beam had shattered fireman
leg. He was lifted on to the mattress,
swift examination made, the splints ad
justed, the mattress with the fireman upol
it slid into the wagon again. We jumpe'
into our seat, the driver into his, tn
sharp strokes began once more, and ava
we sped back to the hospital. In spit
of our hot pace and the iolting of tn
wheels the injured man seemed to Ii
easy, the mattress moving only gently u
and down.
We were soon at the hospital again
Just fourteen minutes from the tim
we had started. The surgeon lifted
stretcher out from the wagon, and opene
it on the sidewalk. The mattress, wit
the fireman upon it, was slid on to th
stretcher, and then the attendants carrie
it into the basement room, where the il
jured man was received by the hous
surgeon, who proceeded to make carefr
examination of the case.
During the preliminaries he asked th
fireman where he lived. "Do you wal
to be treated here or at home after g
through 2" The fireman expressed wis
to be taken home, and as it would not,
. - kA