New-York tribune., 1905-07-20
EAST SIDE SWELTERS
Tenement House DzoelIers Spend
NIGHTS in Streets or on Roofs.

AZ usual. the greatest suffering yesterday
was on the congested East Side. Professor
James H. Hamilton, the headworker at the
University Settlement at Eldridge and Riving-
ton sts, told yesterday of the scenes Of suffer-
ing that he had witnessed from his bedroom
window In the last few nights.
MANY men and women in this part OF the
town do not attempt to get their ordinary sleep
on such nights we have been having lately"
he said. Looking from my window, can see
hundreds stretched along the sidewalks. They
cover the steps of Railways and every available
space. Others lie or sit on the fire escapes and
on the roofs In the windows, mothers sit
ting all night long with their babies On the
sidewalks, especially in front of the large tene-
ment houses the men and women sit up till
morning. STILL these men and many OF the
women must go to work each day.
"Our bathing facilities have been taxed to the
limit, and have been forced TO turn away
hundreds. Our baths are not free. We charge
five cents admission. Every day in the week
they are open TO the men and three days week
to women. Between July 10 and IS we pro-
vided 504S baths. and of these SS7 were taken
by women"
All day yesterday the women and children
sat outside their homes. frequently with babies
in their arms. seeking relief from the sitting
air OF the tenement houses. The dealers In
soda, cold lemonade and ice cream reaped a
rich harvest in all parts Of the city. Especially
IN the business districts the soda fountains were
surrounded by struggling crowds that strongly
reminded weary husbands from Brooklyn of
bargain counters In the department stores. At
some fountains. $500 worth OF soda went before
y o'clock in the morning
The high water mark for frequency of calls
for the ambulances OF Bellevue Hospital was
reached yesterday The four ambulances were
in continuous service. DR.. Carter, who was put
on what is known second call in the after
noon had already been on duty for forty con-
secutive hours while on first call, and had re-
sponded to forty calls. The entire staff Of ambu-
lance doctors were almost tagged out from the
long strain The doctors answering the calls
for the ambulances since midnight were DR..
Caldwell. DR.. Bowman. Dr. Mckenzie and DR..
Carter.
Most OF the calls for the ambulance were
celved after sunrise and were mostly for heat
cases and alcoholic cases. the extreme heat
quickly anectng the "drunks." who usually
crawl into corner and sleep off their liquor.
The application of ice and ice baths are used
In the treatment for heat prostration. As soon
as the ambulance surgeon sees in his patient
the signs OF prostration-the appearance Of ex-
haustion the struggle for breath. the trembling
OF the eyelids-he rushes him TO the hospital In
the larger hospitals such as Bellevue at this
time or year, every ward is prepared TO take in
neat patents AS soon as one arrives, he Is
hurried into a bathtub filed with Ice water. A
nurse is present with thermometer and stetho-
scope. and II the patients heart is weak, his face
is sprayed with ice water prior to his cold plunge
into the cracked ice The heat victims pulse
and temperature are carefully watched. and as
soon as he shows signs Of weakening from the
shock or his fever is reduced to normal, he is
removed,
He is then wrapped in blanket. A few
moments later the blanket is replaced by a sheet
and the person is placed on cot with a bag of
Ice under his head. This is because the INNER
sion in the ice tends to send the blood to the
head The ice bag is shifted from the top to
the back Of the head and to the back of the neck
when the patient complains Of pains there On
days when the temperature is high, it is fre-
quently found necessary to return the patient to
the Ice bath for ten fifteen minutes. No
Edmulants are given, as prostration is too often
the result of over stimulation or exhaustion,
when the shock of the stimulant would be in
furious.