The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-03-15
AMBULANCES ARE
SOMETIMES BUSY
Undertakes Supply Good Ser
vice Free of Charge
RESPONSE TO THE CALLS
In Some Cities Drop Harness Is Used
for Ambulance Teams-such
Harness May Be Used
Hers.
RESPONSE TO THE CALLS

Four ambulances belonging to under
taking firms are being run in Birmingham
now. and practically all of them are
required to take care of sick and injured
people to be carried to and from the hos
pitals Night and day the harness is kept
on the horses and the ambulances are
ready to leave the stables In very few
minutes on any hurry call, no matter
what the time of day or night. This ser
vice Is given without charge.
| Recently there were but two ambu-
lances, both run by Lige 10y, and they
we're kept on the run almost all the time,
but now the situation is greatly relieved,
as Taylor & Co. and Willingham & Leslie
have theirs in commissions
All Busy.
Even with four running all of them are
kept busy. The work, however, comes IN
fits and starts, like everything else, and
the old adage that 1t never rains, but
| pours, applies to the calls for an ambu-
lance possibly more than anything else.
If one of the undertakers has one call
In the morning, two, three or four are
more than apt to follow in quick success
sion. Again two or three days will pass
| without call
Yesterday Taylor & Co. had three calls,
all Of them to carry sick people to or
| from the hospitals. This was an average
amount of work for a day Today the
ambulances are apt to be busy with emer-
gency calls, as many accidents generally
happen on Sunday.
| Lige 10y had three calls yesterday, and
those like Taylor's were all for sick peo-
Pile. Should he get hurry CALI for an
injured person this morning, the men at
the establishment are almost sure that
they will have at least one more hurry
calr' during the day, and possible three
or four. They feel about it like railroad
men. II road has one wreck, others are
almost sure to follow in quick succession.
Willingham & Leslie have had their am
bulance reprinted and repaired. The work
was finished yesterday, and one call was
answered It was what Is known as a
sick call or carrying patient to the
| hospital.
Like Fire Department.
In many cities the size of BlrminS-
ham there is but one, or possibly two,
ambulances run by the city hospital, or
a charity hospital. The teams have the
drop harness just like a fire department,
and can get out of the stable as quickly.
Birmingham has no city ambulance, and
therefore a custom has grown which prac-
tically requires the undertakers to supply
this service.
In cities where there is a public am
bulancc sick people are not hauled. Only
emergency calls are answered, and when
sick person is to be carried to the hos
| pital, a carriage must be engaged, or
else, as in some cities. one of the UNDER
takers owns an ambulance which may be
rented.
| Some of the Birmingham undertakers
are discussing the advisability of putting
In drop harness. and this Improvement
will probably follow shortly. They are
able to get out of the stable almost as
quickly now as with the drop harness, but
at times the few minutes saved by the
more modern plan will save mans life.
/