San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-16
Electric Ambulance Gets
Relief to the Sick Horse
Quicker, Cleaner, Quieter
and Cheaper Says Dean of
Horse Ambulance Drivers.

William Ryan is the dean of Horse
Ambulance Drivers of New York. He
has been rendering service to the city's
quarter of century. When he first
went to work for the Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, he
drove q horse-drawn ambulance and
trained the horses to answer the sig
nal gong. 1t was more strenuous
than handling the present electric am
balances, but he enjoyed it.
do / love horses:" he repeated,
amazed at the question. why
shouldn't IL. i was fairly brought
up with them, as you might say. My
father was a coachman and / don't
remember the time when 1 wasn't
with them. That's why 1 took this
job. l enjoy doing for them" As
he spoke his kind, hazel eyes gazed
lovingly at poor sick horse, just
then being exercised by one of the
attendants.
do you very much miss driving
them" he was asked.
Electric Is Quieter.
"Of course. but there is a lot to
be said for my electric. The one
thing is that this electric ambulance
can get relief to the sick horse quick
err. It's cleaner, -Cuieter. cheaper
and always dependable. III show il
to you," and he led his visitors back
to the garage where stood the new
ly painted ambulance.
Saint she beauty?" he asked,
not without pride. And his visitors
agreed.
And she not only looks good" Mr..
Ryan want ON. "She's there with
the goods. Can carry twenty tons and
never groans. We've had her ten
years and the batteries have had 10
be renewed only twice. This is the
first coat of paint. She's moved thou
sands of sick horses and not long ago
she moved a five-ton elerhant from
the Bronx Park Zoo to the Shriners'
Circus up in Westchester county AMI
back again.
THE long. low-hung body is good,
too, makes it easier TO load n pros
trate horse. Then, there is the cleo
tric winch for pulling in the sick
horse. and believe me, that's done
some pretty good work. too.
1T pulled many a horse out of man.
holes, excavations-and even the
river. l remember once when Hip
PourUIue dCtOT-noTse It'll OOW0 II mar
hole at Forty-third street. When I
arrived there was a crowd of a thou
sand people or more, and everybody
but its owner thought and advised
that he be shot. Engineers we're ter
ribly afraid that he would kick one
of the electric cables or gas mains
and blow I'D the whole works, put l
wouldn't shoot him."
But how did YOU get him out of
there?" he was asked.
with little figuring and just
about one hour of actual time. First
got ten pounds of axle grease and
smeared the inside of the hole. and
then took rope and belt and went
down after Mr.. Horse. We got
friendly right off, and 1t took no time
to fasten the belt around him-and
the electric winch did. the rest. The
horse stuck half way up but I gave
Inn a good slap on the back and out
he came in a hurry. His owner then
took him TO the stable, cleaned and
fed him. and he went on at the Hin
podrome that night and did his reg
ular stunt. ..
Need Good Character.
at requires more than just know
ing how TO drive an electric truck 10
be an ambulance driver for the $.
T. C. A." Mr.. Ryan explained. I'VE
try to get men who love horses and