New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-07-11
vHE AMBULANCE'S BUSY DAY
ANSWERING THE CALLS WITH THE
SURGEON ON THE FOURTH.


"Jump for the step as 1t comes past" said the
surgeon. THE driver occasionally tries to leave
me-" The Fourth was a busy day for all the
hospitals, and hardly had the permission neces-
sary to accompany the ambulance been obtained
when a call for one came in. The surgeon came
hurriedly from his room. caught up his cap and
bag OF instruments. and started for the door.
Almost at the same time the ambulance arrived.
The reporter made dash for the step behind.
crawled in and found the surgeon sitting beside
him.
The ambulance. having the right of way over
other vehicles, Is treated with Difference even
by the cabe-cars. 1t might be good plan to
induce all the hospitals to hold an occasional
ambulance parade up and down Broadway.
The ambulance finally drew up before an
East Side tenement. in front of which stood
policeman This way. DOCTOR" said he. and
led the way up a narrow flight Of stairs.
On a bed covered with dirty clothes. in a small
ill-smelng room. lay a woman partly dressed.
gasping and twitching. About her were gath
cred representatives of most of the families in
the tenement. while children crowded the stair
case and tried to press into the room. from
which their mothers drove them
The doctor put sone questions to the patient.
which were answered by the other women in
chorus.
How old is she?" he asked.
"She's fifty. sorr" came from the crowd. This
reused the patient.
I'm not. The idee Me fifty! tbs forty am
Poor thing she don't know. doctor" said the
chorus
The doctor decided that the woman was suf-
fering from partial paralysis chair was
brought the patient placed in it and carried
downstairs At the foot were the children OF
the entire tenement reinforced by most OF those
on the block. The patients little daughter was
crying bitterly. and her example affected most
Of the other children. The sliding bottom OF the
ambulance was pulled out, the woman laid upon
IT, pushed In. and driven away amid the tears
and God bless you's" of the crowd. On the re-
turn to the hospital the morbid curiosity Of peo-
ple in general was shown. Men and women
leaned out of windows as the ambulance passed.
people in the streetcars turned like soldiers at
a command to catch glimpse Of its burden
and children ran behind giving Jumps in the air
In the hope Of having a new horror to tell to
their playmates. At the hospital the attendants
Appeared picked up the stretcher handles and
carried the patient inside.
THE next call was also for case OF sickness.
The patient was a servant living with family
in a quiet part Of the city. ind the crowd
which gathered was smaller than the previous
one 1t manifested no sympathy for the patient
and seemed to bear her a grudge for having
cheated it out Of a sensation. The children
crowded I'D close to the ambulance as the girl
walked to it, and one Of then asked. Say. are
you sick? You don't look It," newsboy took
it>upon himself to rebuke this lack Of feeling
"Say dat ain'tright Don't you know nothin'?'
The two at once became engaged in a war or
words, and each was endeavoring to maintain
his position when the ambulance drove away
Late In the evening" wnen the days celebration
was at its height. hurry call from the East
Side again set the wheels rolling. 1t was a time
when the saloons were pouring on the streets
their contingent Of inebriates. and as the am
bulance FASTENED past. calls of Here's one!
mo use going further!" This mans dead"
came from the street corners. Now and then
frecrackers torpedoes would explode almost
under the horses feet. but the pace never slack
ened The clang Of the gong the explosions
the rattle OF the cars and shouts Of the people
made the experience exciting
fine case" was sitting beer barrel
guarded by two policemen and surrounded by
crowd composed mostly Of children. who raised
a shrill cry of Here it comes as the ambulance
turned the corner. The surgeon Jumped down
and forced his way to the patient
HE was drunk and fell and cut his head" ex =
plained one of the policemen. Hes come to
now. Get out Of the light. you people. and give
the doctor a chance
Say. he's hurt awfu! bad said little girl to
some friends. Il seen him fall four times. The
victim was not hurt awful bad" but he was
certainly very drunk. He sobered up trifle
when the surgeon ran his fingers through The
scalp wound
What had you been drinking! asked IN"