The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-07-18
new YORK'S AMBULANCE SERVICE,

Hn FSoAAS oNIAN1N
nearer. The numbering trucks and
omnibuses draw away to either side.
The stroke Of the bell rings loudly right
at your side, and in q moment a light
covered vehicle dashes past you. Bare
~ an instant later the bell is striking
far ahead of you, and the wagon has
disappeared into q side street, or is hid
den from view by the trucks and omni-
buses which have again taken full pos
session 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 n
young MAJ wearing an official CAP.
Asyou walk on your progress may be
checked by q crowd that has gathered
around something one the sidewalk
Near the curb you see the ambulance.
In q 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 a
glimpse offs poor agonized face (the face
may be of a 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 excited, you may
read in next mornings paper how a lad
was caught and lacerated by the ma
chinery of the factory in which he
worked, or how q poor delicate girl was
crushedby one Of the numbering trucks
or omnibuses, and how she lay there ex-
posed to the stare Of the curious crowd
till she was taken by the ambulance to
some hospital-most likely, if the acct
dent occurred down town, to the Cham
bers street branch of the New York
Hospital.
One day as the writer was standing
IN tho waiting room ofthis branch of the
uptown hospital, known as tibet Chambers
Street Hospital. conversing with one of
the ambulance surgeons on the subject of
this article, there was a sudden jingling
of the bell in the basement.
That's a fire alarm? Ring up the
ambulance!!" called the surgeon.
Before the jingling had stopped, or
the surgeon had finished the order, the
superintendent had .turned q switch. on
the signal instrument.
"That brings the ambulance from our
stab es to the door," said the surgeon.
'"The jingling you heard comes from po-
lice headquarters. 1t simply tells us
that there's q fire in our district, and to
be prepared for another calm case of
accident. Here's the ambulance"
1t came rattling down the street, and
with a quick turn fetched up at the
door. The surgeon while speaking had
put on his cap. As ne had stretched
his arm to take it down from the peg,
the flap of his coat lifted somewhat,
and disclosed a small leather case, evil
IDENTIFY for surgical instruments, pro-
truding from the inside pocket. The
superintendent, who had been listening
at the telephone, said they had tele-
phoned from police headquarters that
the fire was on Broadway, near Canal
street.
@ " jig ~ ohStCoSAoi vi SltiIp
strokes was given on the bell in the
basement. 90,
Gone, two, three, four" counted tho.
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 be-
fore We were in the seat in the back
of the am bulance the bell near the
drivers seat was ringing out sharply,
and we were, speeding along.
AS we dashed up the street every We
hicle, whether it was going in the same.
direction with us OF coming toward us
pulled out Of our way. That little bell
seemed,to have a magical effect. Bur-
ly, surly drivers, who wouldhave cursed
like troopers in a Broadway jam, hauled
up toSthe curb, andt the light wagon went
spinning along on Q straight line until
it met one of the United States mail
: carts. Then the ambulance turned out
as any ordinary vehicle would have
done. Speeding up Broadway it had a
perfectly clear track.
It's as likely at fire to be a thigh IN
jury as any other" said the surgeon, as
he drew out some long splints from the
mattress in the bottom OF the wagon.
Ht''These are for such injuries. In this
bag" pointing to bag that hung from
the side of the wagon cover, eve have
smaller splints. But here we are"
Barely a 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 a mo-
ment the ambulance had stopped and
had backed up to the sidewalk. We
had jumped from our seat. The body
Of the wagon slanted toward the curb,
and in all instant the mattress was slid
out on to the walk. A falling beam
had shattered o tireman's leg. He was
lifted on to the mattress, q swift exam
nation made, the splints adjusted, the
mattress with fireman upon it slid into
the wagon again. We jumped into our
seat. the driver into his, the sharp
strokes began once more, and away we
sped back to the hospital. In spite Of
our hot pace and the jolting of the
wheels the injured man seemed to lie
easy, the mattress moving only gently
up and down.
We were soon at the hospital again
Just fourteen minutes from the time we
had started. The surgeon lifted a
stretcher out from the wagon. and open
ed it on the sidewalk. The mattress
with the fireman upon it was slid on to
the stretcher, and then the attendants
carried it into.the basement room, where
the injured man was received by the
house surgeon, who proceeded to make a
carefu1ae1amination of the case.
During the prelminarics he asked the.
fireman where he lived. DO you want
to be treated here or at home after 1
get through?" The fireman expressed