Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-03-01

TIE CRAZY ENGINEER.

THE CRAZY ENGINEER.
Ny train left Dantz:c in the morning generally
about eight o'clock but once a week we had to
wait for the arrival Of the steamer from S. stockholm
Il WAS the morning Of the steamers arrival that
/ came down from the hotel and found that nv en-.
gineer had been 30 seriously injured that be could
not run. railway carriage had run over him
and broken one Of his legs. l went Immediately
to the engine house to procure another engineer
for knew there were threa or four in reserve
there, but l was disappointed. [ INQUIRED for
Westphal, but was informed that be had gons to
Steegen to sec his mother. GondOpho had been
sent to Konigsberg, on the road. But where was
Magnet He had leave of absence for two DAYS,
and had gone 40 one knew whittier.
Here was q fix. l heard the putting of the
! steamer In the NeufahTWasser and the passengers
! would be on hand in fifteen minutes l ran to tie
| guards and ssked them if they knew where there
was an engineer, but they did not l then went to
| the 6remen and asked them if any one of them
| felt competent TO run the engine to Brom5erg No
! one dared to attempt it The distance was nearly
/ ons hundred milee. What was to be done!
| The steamer stopped at the wharf, and thoss
who were going on oy rail came hocking I'D to the
j station. They bad eaten breakfast on board the
/ boat and were ell ready for fresh start. The
baggage was checked and registered, the tickets
bought the different carriages pointed to the va
! rious classes Of passengers, and the passengers
! themselves seated. The tram was in readiness in
the long station house, and the engine was steam
| ing and putting away mpatiently in the distant
| firing house.
Il was past nine o'clock
| "Come, why don't we stari2" erowed an old fat
| SWede, who had been watching me narrowly for
| the last fifteen minutes.
And upon this there was 9 general chorus OF
! anxious inquiry, which soon settled to downright
murmuring. At this juncture some one touched
| me on the elbow. l turned and saw stranger BY
| my side. expected that he was going to remon-
| strGte with me for my backWardness. In fact I
| began to have strong temptations to pull of nv
uniform, for every snKons eye was fixed upon the
garing badges which marked mo as tho chief Off
| Ger Of the train.
However, this stranger was a middle.sged man,
tail and stout, with face Of great energy and in
| tellgence. His eye was black and briiiant-so
brillisnt that could not for the life of nae gaze
steadily into it; snd bis lips, which were very thin
| seemed more like polished marble than human
flesh. his dress was black throughout, and not
only set with exact nicsty, but was sCrupulously
clean and neat
"YOu want an engineer, understand" he said,
in low, cautious tone, at the same time gazing
| quietly about him IS though be wanted no one to
hear Whist he said.
81 do" l replied. "My train is all ready, and
we have no engineer within twenty miles of this
place"
"Wel, sir, am going to Bromberz-I must 60,
and will run the engine for you'll
"Hsl" uttered, ''sre you an engineer"
I'll am, eir-oDe Of the oldest in the couatry; and
sm now on my way to make arrangements for a
great improvement have invented for the sppli-
! cation Of steam to q locomotive Nv name is
Martin KrOller. If you wish, viii run as far as
Bromberg; and will show you running that is
running"
Was not fortunate2 I determined to accept
| the mans offer ct once, aud 50 told him He re-
ceived my answer with nod and a smile went
with him to the house, where We found the iron.
horse in the charge of the fireman, and oil ready
for the start. KEoilsr got upon the platform, and
| followed him. | had never seen . man betray
| such peculiar aptnes5 amid the machinery that he
| did. He let on the steam in an instant, but vet
| with care and judgment and he backed Up to the
| baggsge-carrlsge with the most exact nicely.
| hsd seen enough - assure me that he was tho
roughly acquainted With tbs business, and I felt
composed once mere. I gaze my engine up to a
new man, and than FASTENED away 70 the Office
Word was passed for oh the passengers to take their
| sests, and soon afterwards I wave! nv hand 70
! the engineer. There vas a pufF a grooming Of
the h9SSy aEeitrees-a trembling Of the building
| and the train was in motion. l lesped upon he
platform OF the guard carriage and 10 q few min
utes more the station house was far behind us
| In less than sn hour we reached Drsham, where
| We took thu pesssogers that had c1me on the Ko-
! nigsberg railway. Here I went forward, aud asked
| KToller how be lllad the engine. He reoiad that
| he liked it very much
! "But, he added, with s;rsDg. sparkling o. she
| eye, "1ait ult'l get my Improvement and then
| you vii ses travelling. By the soil OF the Virgin
| Mother, sir, l could run an engi-e Of ny o,vn
! Construction = the moon 10 ;Olr acd ts ea.y
| hours!'
| smiled at what thought his faint entbu,issn,
| and tHen went back to my statioa, A. soon as
the honlgsberg Passengers we're all on bead, sud
| their baggage carriage attached, We started on
! sgain.
| As soon IS all matters had bees attended to
connected viii this new accession of passengers,
/ went into the guard carriage aud sat down
| An esry tram from Kouigsberg had 6esn through
two hours before reaching Bremberg, and that Wa
al Little Oscue, where We took Cd board the west
| eru mail
How We gcI' uttered one of the guard some
| fifteen minutes after we had left Drsham.
''The new engineer is trying the speed. - 7 re-
| Piled, not pet holding any fear.
But ere long began to be fearful be was .ul
ming little too fast. The csrrisge bsgan to sway
to and fro, and l could hear EXPLANATIONS Of fssT
from the passengers
"GOod heaVensi" cried Oae of the guard coming
10 at the moment, what is tho fellow dong2-
Look, sir, and See how We are going
Hooked ct the window and found that We were
dashing along at speed never bsfore travelled on
that road. Posts, fences, rocks and trees, few
by in one undi5tingushed mass, aud the Carriages
now swAyed fesrfuliy. l started to my fest, and
met passenger on the platform. He was one of
the Chief owners of the road and was Just on his
way to Berlin. He was pale and excited
Isl" he gaspsd, sis Martin Kroler On the en-.
gine77
"Yes," I told him.
"Holy Virgil ddu you knox hian?"
"KOowG' l replied somewhat puzzled. "Whst
do you meaDi He told me his name was Kroller,
and that he was an engineer. We had no one to
run on the engine. and -"
"YOu had him. Interrupted the man Good
heavens, sir, be IS as crazy as a mao can bel He
turned bis brain over new plan for applying
steam power. saw him at the station but did
not recognise him as l was in hurry Just now
one Of your passengers told me that your enei.
neers were al gore this morning, and that you
found one that was stranger to you Then
knew that the man whom I had seea was Msrtin
Kroller He had escaped from the hospital at
Stetin. You must get him off some how
The whole fearful truth was now Opsn to me-
The speed Of the train was increasing every mo-
meBt and knew thsta few more miles per hour.
would launch us all into destruction called 10
the guard, aud then made my way forward IS
quick as possible. Ireacned the after platform Of
the after tsnder and there stood Kroller upon the
engine board, his Tat and coat of his long black
baTr AaafiDcy h, 1 -