The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1857-04-11
THE CRAZY ENGINEER.

THE CRAZY ENGINEER.
My train left Dantzc in the morning gen.
orally about eight o'clock but once a week,
we had to wait for the arrival of the steam
er from Stockholm. 1t was the morning of
the steamers arrival, that came down from
the hotel, and found that my engineer had
been so seriously injured that he could not
run. A railway carriage had run over him
and broken one of his legs. | went imme-
dately to the engine house to procure ano,h-
er engineer, for l knew there we're three
or four in reserve there, bu: Twas disappoint-
ed. inquired for Wcstphal. but was inform
ed he had gone to Steesen to see lis mother
Gondolpho had been sent to Harrisburg, on
the road. But where was Maync? lie had
leave of absence for two days and had gone
no one knew whittier.
Here was fix. l heard the putin of
the steamer in the Neufahrwasser. and the
passengers would be on land in f. tee" .h.,,
IL they knew ths e '~hissre Ter etasazts tszts sa4 Al Sssineer,
but they did not. ran to the iremen and
asked them if any one of them felt compe-
tent to run the engine to Brombers. No
one dared to attempt it. The distance was
nearly one hundred miles. What was to be
done?
The steamer stopped at the wharf anG those
who were going on by rail came fbrkins
up the station. They had eaten breakfast on
hoard the boat. and were all ready fo-a fresh
s:art.-The baggage was checked and regis
tered, the tickets bought, the different car
riages we're pointed to the various classes Of
passengers. and the passengers themselves
seated. The train was in readiness in the
long station house, and the engine was steam
ing and putting away impatiently in the dis
tant firing house.
1t was past nine o'clock.
"Come . why don't we start ?" growled an
Old fat Swede. who had been watching me
narrowly for the last fifteen minutes.
And upon this there was general choru,
Of anxinrs inquiry, which soon settled to
downright murmnring. At this juncture
some one tonched me on the elbow. turn
ed and saw stranger bv my side. | ex-
peced that he was going to demonstrate
with me for INV back war1nrSs. In fact | be.
gan to have stron. temptation to pull off my
uniform. for every anxious eye was fixei up
on the glaring badges which marked me a:
the chief officer of the train.
However. this stranger was middle aged
man. tall and stout with face Of great en-
er.v and intelligence. His eyes were black
and hriliant-so brilliant that could no,
Cor the life ofme gaze steadily into them and
his lips. which were thin, seemed more like
polished marble than human flesh Hi.
dress black throughout, and not only sci
with exact nicely but was scrupulously clean
and neat.
You want an engineer, understand" he
said. in low. cautions tone. at tie same time
gazing quietly about him as though he want
ed no one to hear what he said.
II do" replied. M. train is already
and we have no engineer With n twenty
miles Of this place"
"Well, sir. am going to Bromherc-I
must 90. and will rur the engine for Won ~
"Ha" uttered, "are you an engineer 2"
81 am. sir-one OF the oI,lrs: in the coun-
try; and am now on my way to make ar.
rangement> for a great improvement | have
invented for the application of steam to To-
comotive. My name is Martin Kroller. If
YOU wish. will run as far as Bromberg; and
will show YOU running that is running"
Was it not fortunate? | determined to
accept the mans offer at once. and so | told
him. IL. received my answer with nod
and smile. went with him TO the house
where we found the Iron horse in the charge
of the fireman, and all ready for the start
Kroler got upon the platform, and follow.
ed him. ! had never seen a man brtray
such peculiar apfness amid the machinery
that he did He let on the steam in an in.
StaRt. but vet with care and judgement, and
he backed up to the baggage carriage wit!
the most exact nicely. hal seen enough
to assure me that he was thoroughly ac
qnainted with the business, and | felt com
posed at once as gave my engine up to new
man. and then FASTENED away to the Office
Word was passed for al! the passengers t,
take their seats, and soon afterwards | wave,
my hand to the engineer. There was
pntf-a groaning of the axe-trees-a trcm
bling of the buiIdinc-and the train was il
motion. leaped up the platform Of tn,
d
the station-house was far behind u.s.
In less than an hour we reached Dirsham
where we took up the passengers that ha,
come on the konissbere rsiway. Here
went forward, and asked Kroller how h
liked the engine. He replied that he like,
it very much. ''But," he added, with
strange sparkling of the eye. "wait until
get my Improvement. and then YOU will Sc
travelling. BY the soul of III. Virgin Moth
er, sir. could run an engine OF my construc,
ion to the moon in four and twenty hours !!
smiled at what thought his faint en-
thusiasm. and then wsnt bs,-sz. =: ny station
AS soon as the kony<berg passengers wer
all on board, and their basgage-carriage a,
tached, we started on again.
AS soon as all matters had been ATTENDED
to. connected with the new accession of pas
sengers, l went into the guard-carriage, an,
sat down. An early train from koniysber!
had been through two hours before reach
ing Bromberg, and that was at Little Oscu,
where we took on board Tie western mail.
"How we 60 !" uttered one of the guar,
some fifteen minutes after we had left Dir
sham.
"The new engineer is trying the speed,
replied, not yet having any fear
But ere long began to be fearful he va
running little too fast. The ~.rriases be
gan to sway to and fro. and could hear ex
clamations from the passengers.
Good heavens T. cried one ofthe guard.
coming in at that moment, what is that fel
low doing? Look, sir, and see how we are
going"
| looked at the window and found that W.
were dsshing along at speed never before
travelled on that road Posts, fences, rocks
flew by in one undistinguished mass and
the carriages now swayed fearfulIy.