The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1857-01-03
The Mad Engineer.
BY A GERMAN CONDUCTOR.

ri0uSiy injured that ne could not run. One
Of the railway carriages had run over him,
and broken one his legs. | went immedi.
ately TO the engine house to obtain another
!. engineer; for ] knew there were three or
four in reserve theve but was disappont-
ed. | inquired for Westfa, and was in
formed that he had gone to Stergcn to see
his mother. Gondolpho had been sent to
konigsberg, on that road. But where was
Wayne? He had leave of absence for few
days, and had gone no one knew whittier.
Here was fix. | heard the putting OF
the steamer in the Nenfahrwassar, and the
passengers would be on hand in fifteen mi
nutes. ran to the guard and asked if they
knew of an engineer, but they did not
then went to the firemsn and asked if any
of them felt competent to run the engine to
Brombers. Not one of them dared 10 at
tempt it, The distance was nearly one hun
dr-d miles What to be done?
The Steamer came to the wharf and
those who were going by rail came foclling
to the station. They had eaten their break
fast on board the boat, and all were ready
for fresh start. The baggage was checked
and registered, and the tickets bought, the
different carriages pointed out 10 various
classes o! passengers, and the passengers
themselves were seated. The train was in
readiness ~ the long station house, and the
engine WIS stcanins and pulling away in
the distant firing house
'COme-why don't We start" grovled q
fat old Swede, who had been watching me
narrowly for al least fifteen minutes. and
upon this there was a general chorus OF
anxious inquiry, which soon settled down
into downright iEurmuling.
At this juncture some oIc touched me on
the elbow. | turned and saw a stranger
standing by my side. ! expected he Was
going TO demonstrate with me for ny back
wardncss. In fact began to have strong
temptations to pull off nay uniform, for eve
~ anxious eye was fixed upon the glaring
I badge which marked me as ,h2 chief officer
of the train.
! However this stranger was a middle aged
man, tall and stout, with face expressive Of
great energy and intelligence. His eye was
! brilliant; SO brilliant that | could not, for
the soul Of me- gaze steadily into it and
7 his lips, which were very thin, seemed
more like polished marble than human
flesh. His dress was of black throughout,
and hot only fitted with exact nicety but
was scrupulously clean and neat:
"Iou are in want Of an engineer, | un-
dcrstand, he said in low cautious tone, at
the same time quietly about him, as
he sad.
81 do" | replied "My train is all ready
and we have no engineer within twenty
miles of here"
/ "Wel, sir, / am going TO Bromberg
must go, and if you can fnd no other, |
viii run the engine for you"
"Ha.n j uttered, 'are you an engineer =
81 am, sir, one OF the odes, in the couR-
try; and am now OF my way to B-rlinp
ment ! have invented the application OF
I steam 10 LOCOMOTIVES. ny ta,ne is Martin
kroller. If you wish | Will run you as far
a. Brombcre; and | VIII show YOU running
. that is funn ns.
Was not fortunate? determined TO
accept the man offer at once, and so told
him. He received my answer with nod
and smile, and then proposed to go and
get the engine went with HIM To the
house, ana we found the iron horse IN
charge OF fireman, and ready for start
krolcr got upon the Platform and iol-
lowed him. | had never seen man display
more peculiar aptness amid the machinery
than he lie let Oh the steam in an instant.
but vet with care and judgment, and he
backed up 10 the baggage car with exact
nicely. | had seen enough to assure Inc
tia, he was thoroughly acquainted with the
gave the engine up to the new man, and
hastcd away to the office. The word was
passed for all passengers to take their seats,
and soon afterwards | waved my hand to
the eng ncer. There was a pnh, move
ment of the heavy axlctrces. trembling of
the building and the train was in notion
lcaped upon the platform OF the grand car
rage, and in a few moments more the sta
ton house was behind ES.
In less than an hour we reached Dirschan,
where we took up the passengers that had
come in on the konigsburg railway. Here
went forward and asked kroller how he
Liked the engine. He replied tina. he liked
it much. But" he added, with a strange
sparkling of MS eye, ''wait until YOU get my
Improvement ana then you'll see travelling.
BY the soul Of Virgin Mother, sir, | could
run an engine Of my construction TO the
Il oon IN twenty-four hours y
| smiled at what thought his quaint en-
thusiasm and went back to my station. As
soon as the konigsberg passengers were all
on and their baggage kratc attached, we
started on again.
As soon as all matters had been attended
to connected with the new accession of pas
sengcrs, wen into the guard carriage and
sat down. An early train from X s-inrg
Bromberg, and that was at Little Oscue,
where we took the western mail.
| ''How y e go." uttered one of the guard
some fifteen minutes after we leh Dirschan.
''The new engineer is trying the speed"
replied, not yet holding any fear.
But ere long began to be fearful that he
was unning little too fast. The carriages
began 10 sway to and fro, and | could hear
ordinations of fear from among the passen-
gers.
Good Heavens" cried one of the guard,
coming in at that moment, what is that fellow
doing? Look, sir, and see how we are 60
ing" -
looked at the window, and found that
we were dashing along at a speed never be-
fore witnessed on that read Post, fences,
rocks, and trees, flew by in one undstin-
guis able mass, and the carriages now
swayed fearfully. started to my feet, and
met passenger on thu platform. He was
pale and excited.
''Sir," he gasped, sis Martin Kroller on
the engine:'' @
eyes" told him. d
"Holy Virgin! didn't you know him ?"
"Know him." repeated, somewhat puz-
Zled "What do you mean he told me his
name was KrOller, and that he was an engi-
neer. We had no one to run up the engine,
and" ina 81 taes ia II ff
"You took nIx!" interrupted the man.
"Good Heavens, Sir, he is as crazy as a
man can be. He turned his brain over new
plan for applying steam power saw him
him at the station, but did not recognize him
as was IN hurry. just now one of the
passengers told me that YOUR ngineers were
all gene this morning. and you found one
who was stranger to you. Then l knew
that man was Martin krollcr! He escaped
from the hospital at Settn. You must get
rid of him somehow !"ae 1l Hgs af1