Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-12-06

nurses and half.sCore of surgeons and
physicians laboring to save life. Sur
geons declare that had It been neccs
sary to remove those gravcly hurt as far
rs the nearest Philadelphia institution,
the death toll would have been in
creased by at least ten.
From q O'Clock yesterday morning
until 1926 last night, the operating
table was occupied every minute except
that required to remove a patient op.
Grated upon, and to bring in another
patient.
Four blood -trnnSusion operations
were performed, ono nmputation, three
tracheotOmy. operations, and an un-
counted number of minor operations.
The amputation was performed upon
Edgar Brehm, his leg having been
crushed; and in a desperate effort to
save his life. three blood TRANSMISSION
wreck victims, hardly able to breathe
because of scald wounds. were SUBJ
icctcd to the operation involving
tracheotomy, In order to give them re-
lief.
With the number Of volunteer nurses
who offered their services at the insti-
tuition. no fewer than forty nurses were
on duty virtually without relief for
fourteen hours. Two chief surgeons
Were On uuty ht all tlm"S,
Make Ready Portable Beds
Within fifteen minutes after being
advised of the crash, Miss Martin. STU
perintendent, had prepared for the re-
c"ption Of twenty four victims. Lines
of portable beds were stretched in the
corridors. Then the victims started to
arrive-brought in by ambulance or by
private car. With the half-score Of
,.1,, ,t,tu, l,
line of red blanketcd victims. every one
Of whom was in medical language n
desperate case" had immediate at
tention.
If victim were able to talk. his or
her name was obtained and written on
( n slip pinned TO the blankCt-this to
/ facilitate action when the stream of
anxious seekers after information
started. Telephone calls were ordered
sent to all relatives in every case pos
siblc.
! Sven before all the suffering, moan
ing victims had been removed to wards,
preliminary to awaiting Il turn" in
/ the operating room. anxious relatives
! Of persons known to have boarded the
| train Mt suburban points, tloCk"d to the
hospital. For some of these, the knowl-
edge that n relative or friend was still
alive. although even gravciy hurt, was
a relief. For those not numbered with
the injured, it meant something else to
the inquirer after Information. No one
knewsat that time how many were dead
in that hell of fire and twisted metal
SO the hospital attaches, kindly. yet
firmly. told the visitors Your relative
is not here. Perhaps you can learn
something at the wreck. Or. perhaps,
they have escaped and have gone TO tho
home of friends" SO it went on nj
day. Late last night the reception
rooms were crowded with relatives ot
those who were lying in the ward,
nearby.
Statement by Surgeon
To best exemplfy the work accom-
plished by the hospital, this is the
statement Of one surgeon who was early
at the hospital
"In all my experience I never saw,
rs the results of wreck or other
calamity, thirteen more desperately
serious cases than those rushed to ,hie
hospital within n half hour after tho
trains came together.
II do not hesitate to declare thai
IL it had been necessary to remove
these injured persons by motor to Beth.
ayres, and then by train or ambulance