Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1857-03-12
THE CRAZY ENGINEER.
FROM THE REPORT OF A RUSSIAN
CONDUCTOR.

I CONDUCTOR.
NY train left Dantzig in the morning,
generally at O'Clock, but once week
we had to wait for the steamer from
| Stockholm. 1t was on the morning OF
the steamers arrival that | came down
from my hotel and found that my engin-
eer had been so seriously injured that
hecould not rum One.of the railway car
riages had run over him and broken one
of his legs. | went Immediately to the
engine house to obtain another engineer
for | knew there were three or four in
reserve there; but / was disappointed /
enquired for Westphal, and was inform
ed that he had gone to Steegen to visit
his mother. Gondolpho had been sent
on to Konigsburg on that road. But
where was Mayne? He had leave of
absence for two days, and had gone, no
one knew whittier.
Here was a fix. | heard the putting
of the steamerin the Neufabtwasser, and
the passengers would be on hand in fiji
teen minutes. ! ran to the guard and
asked them if they knew where there
was an engineer. But they did not. /
| then went to the firemen and asked if
any one of them felt competent to run
the engine to Borberg. Not one of
them dare attemptit. The distance was
nearly one hundred miles. What was
to be done?
The steamer came to her wharf, and
those going on by railroad soon came
flocking to the station. They had taken
breakfast on board the boat. and were
all ready for fresh start The baggage
was checked and registered, the tickets
bought, the different carriages pointed
out to the various classes of passengers,
and all were seated. The train was in
readiness in the long station house, and
the engine was stcaming and putting
away in the distant firing house
Come, why don't we start?" growled
an old fat Swede, who had been watch.
lug me narrowly for the last fifteen min
utes.
And upon this there was general
chorus of anxious enquiry, which settled
into downright murmuriug. At this
tjuncture some one touched me on the
elbow. / turned and saw a stranger by
my side. l expected he was going to
demonstrate with me for my backward
ness. In fact, began to have strong
temptations to pull off my uniform, for
every anxious eye was fixed upon the
glarlng badges which marked me as the
chief official of the train.
However, this stranger was a middle
aged man, tall and stout, with face ex.
pressive otgreat energy and intelligence.
His eye was as black and brilliant that
could not for the soul ofme gaze steadily
into it; and his lips, which were very
thin, seemed more like polished marble
black throughout, and not onlyfitted with
extra nicely, but was scrupulously clean
and neat
You want an engineer, understand
! he said, in q low cautious tone, at the
same time gazing quietly about him, as
| though he wanted no one else to hear
what he said.
81 do replied. "My train is all
ready, and we have no engineer within
twenty miles of here"
"Well, Sir | am going to Bomberg
| must go-and if you can't find another,
| will run the engine for YOU
"IIa!" | uttered, care you an engi-
neer!"
81 am, Sir-one of the oldest in the
country; and am now on my way to Ber-
lin TO make arrangements for great i'm
Iprovement have invented in the appli
cation ofsteam tOlOcomotion. Myname
is Martin Kroller. If you wish, | will
show you running that is running"
| Was | not fortunate? determined to
accept the mans offer at once, and so
! told him. He received my answer with
a nod and smile, and then proposed to
! 60 and get the engine. / went with him
/ to the house, where we found the iron
horse in charge of the fireman, and all
ready for the start. Kroler got upon
the platform, and followed. Ihad new
er seen man bctray more peculiar apt
ness amid the machinery than he did.
He let on the steam in an instant, but
yet with care and Judgment, and back
ed up the baggage carriage with
nicely. l had seen enough to assure me
that he was thoroughly acquainted with
the business, and | felt composed once
more. gave the engine up to my new
man, and then FASTENED away to the
Office. The word was passed for all
the passengers TO take their seats, and
soon afterwards | waved my hand to
the engineer, There was apuff. groan-
ing Of the heavy aXelrees, a trembling
OF the building, and the train was in
motion. i leaped upon the platform OF
the guard carriage, and in = few mo-
mens more the station house was left be.
/ hind us.
/ In less than ma hour we reached Dir
.chau, where we took up the passengers
that had come in on the konigsburg rail
road. Here l went forward and asked
kroller how he liked the engine. He
replied that he liked it much.
hut" he added, with q strange
/ sparkling Of the eye, wait until you get
my Improvement, and then you shall see
travelling. BY the soul of the Virgin
Mother, Sir, l could run an engine ofiny
construction to the moon III four and
twenty hours!f'
smiled at what I thought his quaint
enthusiasm, and then went back
to my station. As soon as the Konigs-
burg passengers were all on board and
their baggage crate attached, we started
on again.
| AS soon rs allmatterS had been attended
to connected with the new accession of
passengers, | went into the guard car
riage and sat down. \ train from Hon
igsburg had gone through two hours
before, so We had but one more stopping
place before reaching Boiuberg, and
that was the Little Oscurc, waere we took
the western mail.