The morning times., 1895-12-09
AMBULANCE SERVICE SLOW
Police Think the Emergency Hos
pital Lacking in This Respect.
Wagon Is stabbed Away From the
building aud Causes Much Delay
s Hn,. In answering Hurry Calls.

| Washingtonlans as a rule feel proud OF
| Emergency Hospital, and II would be
strange that il in a great institution of
its kind some faults might not be sug
| gested; but Just now, in the overworkcd
| condition OF the police department, many
| members of that department are criti
cising the hospital for what is alleged 10
be a very faulty feature, namely, its am.
| buiance service.
In all hospitals, or nearly all hospitals Of
note, great attention is paid to this
| branch OF the service. because dispatch
| in delivering the patient 10 the operating
room means lives saved. The police say
that no reason exists why the Emergency
| should not have at least a fair ambulance
service, and the speed al which its wagon,
drawn by splendid gray horse, rolls
| through the streets indicates to the casual
| observer that things are done there in a
hurry, but the ambulance is not served
with speed
Suppose II nan or woman is shot, stab
bed or taken Ill at the corner OF Ninth
street and Pennsylvania avenue only six
squares from the hospital. One would
think that the telephone message to Enier-
gency would put the wheels OF the ambu-
lance in motion, with the proIuptiiude
with which i fire engine is sent on its
mission
While the suPposititious patient is lying
helpless on the sidewalk at Ninth street.
somebody says Call Emergency Hospi-
tai.''n'A man Jmsies The bell of the
phone and waits till central says mum
ber?''
Give me 1T13, please; Emergency
Hospital
''Helio!'' says Emergency.
''Will you send your ambulance TO Ninth
street and Pennsylvania ut once"
The colorcd man who answers the phone
walks up stairs and rouses one OF the sur
geons ana reports to him that the wagon
is wanted. The surgeon says ''aIl right"
The oiored man walks down to the
phone, turns the crank. and says:
Central, give me 200, please; police
headquarters
There is ouly one wire connecting head
quarters with the centrai office, and this
may be busy. III tae wire is not In use
the operator on duty al headquarters says
Hello
''WiR. erou give nlcs-station No. 1?''
Yes" says headquarters. There they
are, GO ahead" once more says head
quarters.
We'll" says the desk sergeant a; sta
ton No. l.
VIII you send The Emergency ambulance
around to .he li,,spitai?" The desk sergeant
1t No. l pushes an electric button which
rings a bell which is supposed TO arouse
the driver OF the ambulsrIce. The driver
dresses himself goes into tie stable, gets
The horse, brings him under The shafts OF
the wagon, bitches him up. mounts his seat
and drives around to the hospital Here
the surgeon comes out with his bag of in
strumeutS, gets in. and the ambulance then
rushes madly Off with gong ringing and
horse rIunihg. II draws up at the corner
where n large crowd has collected. the
ease" is taken in, and the return run to
the bospit;i made in fast time, that is. II
one of the police ambulances have not been
called in the meantime.
The reason for all tltis delay is th1: the
hospital ambulance is stabbed at station
No. instead of at the hospital. The po
lice say this ambulance system Is not strictly
up 10 daie.