The Washington herald., 1908-07-22

It was past midnight. and the city lay
quiet and peaceful There was no sound
TO disturb the stiffness but the hurrytng
steps OF some belated pedestrian on his
way home. or the sharp call OF police
mans whistle
At the Emergency Hospital the lights
we're turned low The night physician
had made his round OF the white cots ami
returned TO his Office to doze in his chair
Only the moan Of a patient as he turned
feverisnly on his cot broke the death-lke
Stiffness Of the big building.
Suddenly there were three sharp rings
OF the bell IN the hallway. followed imme-
diately by three more rings. In fash
the scene had changed. The drowsy doc
tor was wide awake and alert as he
slipped into his white coat and picked Up
his instrument case as he rushed Tor the
elevator AT the same instant the ambu-
lance driver left his chair in the corner
and ran TO the stable. across the street
Within a few seconds there was the
sharp click Of iron-shod hoofs on the
floor. an inS.ant OF silence as the hang
ing harness was dropped. and then. Ike
fitting ghost IN the moonlight. Harry
johnson. the most famous ambulance
horse IN the United States. leaped from
the open stable door. and. guided by the
experienced hand Of Jesse Williams. the
colored driver. wheeled IN front Of the
gloomy building.
Physician Jumps In.
There the waiting physician Jumped
into the ambulance before Il had stopped.
and they were OF down the deserted
street
I II was an emergency call and we were
OF for a night with the ambulance
driver
The three bells. repeated. indicate that
la life IS in imminent danger. and no time
/ Is 70 De lost Only twelve seconds has
elapsed from the time the bell sounded
until Harry johnson and his driver have
picked up the physician and are on their
way 10 the sceEo Of the tragedy
It may be the young physicians first
I trip. but Harry johnson and Jesse VII
I liams are veterans IN the service For
I ten years Harry has drawn the anbu-
{ lance night and day. IN heat and in cold.
I TO scenes Of suffering and death. and for
/ nine years Jesse has held the reius over
his back and guided him IN the swift
fight when the streets were deserted. and
when they had 10 worm their way
I through the hurrying thousands or the
I crowded thorouEhfares-
Never Have Accidents.
Harry johnson. the white ambulance
horse. and Jesse Williams, the black
driver. have had many strange expert
|ences IN their years Of service AT the hos
pitsL Both know the business 10 the
smallest detail. and f. ali their mad fights
through the streets al all hours of the
day and night within the last ten years
neither has met with an accident. al
though they have made many thousand
trips into all sections Of the city.
DIPLOMATS from foreign countries. United
States Senators. fnanciers OF worId-wide
rep ItaTions society women. as well as
the wsyfa-er and the social outcast. have
been carried 20 the hospital by these two
faithful servitors.
Painted women who have swallowed
the Iethal dose in an effort 20 end a life
that has been worse than failure. ruined
business men who have sought 20 find
peace in the seductive morphine: little
children with 1-algIed bodies. and de
crepit age. stricken with fatal malady
have all been passengers in the swiftly
moving ambulance
Calls Average Ten Runs n Day.
Throughout the year. calls for the am
bulance az Emergency Hospital alon,
! average ten a day. and often reach a.
many as twenty-five For this duty ther,
are now three horses. Harry johnson
j the veteran. who has never had IN equa
in the service for speed, Billy Carr. a Kal
. liant bay who has been IN the work foUi
r years. and Irene. a beautiful black mare
. four years old. who made her first ruI
in the ambulance Sunday. ami demon
strated that even n such company a
Harry and Billy she will be amply abl
70 maintain the honor OF her sex
But Jesse Williams IS the only driver
, Night and day ne IS on the ground. read
! for every emergency. When the bel
rings Jesse IS there. No man IN Wash
i1Eton knows the city as well as II
does. No matter whether the call be to
mansion IN the fashionable residenc
, section Of the city. or 20 n cabin IN n
suburbs. he is able 10 drive Unerringl,
to the door and to reach It by the short
est possible route
Time Means Much.
Time IS the element OF success IN a
/ emergency call, and the flying feet o
- gray Harry and the accurate knowledg
OF the city possessed by Jesse hav
been instrumental in saving many live
that would have been lost by only q fe7
. minutes delay in getting patients ,
! the operating table. This IS especial
true in cases Of poisoning or asphyxia
/ tion By gas or drowning. and IN case
. like these many record runs have bee
2 made. Last week call was receive
7 / from Seventh street and Pennsylvani
avenue. and in exactly five minutes afte
the first warning bell was sounded tn
ambulance had gone 10 the house. re
] ceived the patient. and was back at III
: hospital
p Many fast runs have also been mad
4 70 the river when some unfortunate ha
fallen into the water and has bee
rescued more dead than alive.
z Many difficulties are encountered by tn
= driver and the physician. II IS often N
case that the patient is a large man o
= woman. who IS found unconscious o
/ ! helpless. on the fourth. fifth. or eve
\ higher, stories Of buildings in which ele
: vators are not running There Is th
e problem of getting them 20 the ambulanc
IN the quickest possible time. and II mus
o be solved quickly
Some object to Being saved.