The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1888-02-19
THE AMBULANCE SERVICE

THE AMBULANCE SERVICE
How Il 10 Divided In tho City-The Work
It Does In the Course Of = Year.
Clang! Clang!
This is a familiar sound in New York. Min
gled with the tramping Of horses feet and the
rattle OF wheels, it is one OF the most familiar
sounds to be heard on the streets. Yet every
man turns to see whence 1t comes when the
noise breaks sharply through tho ponotonous
rumble Of traffic. and seems to wonder ut its
significance. Is it n warning from the en-
Gines, which, like flying batteries on the battle
field, are going into position to fight fro? Not
always. 1t is urgent. impressive. impetuous in
its tones, but the sound may come from only a
simple ambulance forcing its way through the
throng to carry succor and relief to some poor
fellow who has gone down in the battle of life.
1t may signify fire and falling walls. Or 1t
may signify only the fall of an elevator, q
casualty much too common. the collapse of n
steam boiler, or any other OF the thousand and
tremity oil physical suffering. But everything
breaks to the right and left ofthe vehicle as the
sharp bell rings its warning, and as quickly
as possible a passage Is cleared for its unob-
structed advance.
This is called 4 selfish and a heartless gen;
spirit of benevolence which ought toirule the
WOTlu. anu uOU Dy comparison Will HlOTe uH-
selfish and benevolent generations OF men who
have gone to their reward. It Is a generation
devoted to works for assuaGing human suffer.
sometimes. but still benevolent: and it errs
often on the side of an excessively charitable
homes in the city Of New York. Mono will say
that the number is in excess Of tho public
abundant charity. sometimes encourages a de-
pendent spirit. Men can never orr. however.
when their efforts are directed toward the re-
lief of phySical suffering.
The ambSlanee CORPS, as it is sometimes
failtsa; sss 81 tie 0 eea%sry u is .o one % OF our most most
preisewqrthy institutions: Yet 1t Is a dispersed
esrani:a af5a.y ana nd It f IS sa oniy in in nahssiio1iap in IN , LIS
general direction. The city il divided into
given from any point within a district will
bring an ambulance. or several ambulances.
may come from any one. of several hospitals
which maintain an independent ambulance
service; and answer to the call OF different Sec
D First; there Is the subdivision served by the
BELLEVUE Hospital Gs9an ,h am az uraa ot ;,a These hes, a ameu,
of Public Charities and Correction. and have
their general rendezvous at the hospital at
other ambulnnces. also under the same direc-
tion. convey patients to the receiving hospitals
and Tenth avenue. and at l2Oth street and the
East River. in Harlem. These are the only am
s sSisnIie Of 4 the private "a 0 hospitals Is have inS t their anu anu
IIisfs ii g SsrEiSe ,b in s a9y9is r aIv the difI T Z d nSe
tho New York. the ST., vincent's, the Presbyte-
rian, and the Roosevelt Hospitals; In + the e dis,
well-known Chambers street station, or hospi-
tai. as It is called. 4 locality invested with con-
siderable tragic interest on account OF the fre-
Gucncy Of the reports OF disasters in which its
Some idea Of the utility of the ambulance
service may be formed from a statement OF tho
Hospital aimbulances in a single year, In the
CORRECTION for the year 1885, tho last report
yet printed. we lind the number put down at
rriied by the ambuiances maintained ut tho re-
ccivinG hospitals. During the month OF Janu-
ny i9 Nth the current current : ysar the ss sm nasIan1s sn Of The
total number served by this hospital since the
ihaHMGuration OF it, service f9ots up EearIy
hospitals is demanded. however, the records OF
their ambulance service are not, so ensiIly OBJ.
ambulance calls throughout the city for an en-
tire year will reach 1000 or 5000.
fellow Who Who ! axes q pe s paSsase in no Ma sm faHs orsf Is
entitled to his ride, Occasionally some person
Ninr be o. pr rs Nsw 9d by a sS stfoke Of J., Jersey lighs,
aisiilled. Then. while suffering from the shock,
no is disc9vered by some tcpder-hearted po-
case, conceives him to be struc; down by an
s%pileptic fit. Horeupon an ambulance Is hasti-
iiiho nearest Hospital. In ills rredicament he
dashes along the street in fine style, and could
ne only sec he would wonder at tho considera-
non winch his case receives. Arriving ut the
hospital tho patient is tenderly removed from
Inc pmMR!i I and 2 consultation OF doctors Is
1t Is to be presumed. however, that the trent
GSmrdIu aII5p rs 6silsaIrriy developed is always fol-
Policeman. would he tho Instructive answer OF
that Glendowerc could call from The Vastly deep.
policemen, arc subject to the call OF any man.
and like sh the spirits again, they WIN not always
or through any elevated railway station. They
houses of tho Fro Department. md the signals
CORRESPOND with the fire signals. Twenty
Ut 81 2. f {nf,o Heil IN mem an ambulance. and
the exact, neighborhood whence the cull is re-
eeiyed; -Four or I'VE minutes arc usually
| In the more crowded sections OF the city.
New York claims the paternity OF the hospital
ambulance system and IT, abortion was not
~ In different localities that the honor Of first
tito is held a subject for contention. 1t is
adopted In New York; and we hear that it Is
only now crossing the s, ocean and efIectinG u
iiS Som oar d II Pa War, a maG hlnt BB ape bssn ea me
happy thought OF some army doctor who had
EXCHANGED bis post OF reeImeptal or headquar-
somewhat remarkable that the idea did not
blossom in EUROPE, many many years ago; Tor
through many centuries. has been tho trans-
portation Of mon with broken heads and bones
S %hG s nsSnsa . bn set only rs soIdisrss pare are r rssa iss
IN Europe. "Sayo the poor, devil that he. may
iGiat 4 for r. as p, again. mi + i, th ,bs es en- fspsr It inlI,nc,
care; The ambulance service for the benefit Of
febfSi s nnnntl no Y ~ bs,cn is iast o sIttea snnsa ana In