Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1867-06-20

ed to connected with the new accession
of passengers, I went into the guard-car-
riage and sat down. An early train
from Konisebrg had been through two
hours before reaching Bromberg, and
that was at little 0scue, where we took
on board the Western mail.
How we go, uttered one OF the guards
some fifteen minutes after we had left
Dirsham.
"Then new engineer Is trying the speed,n
j replied, not yet holding any fear.
But ere long began 10 be fearful he
was running little too fast. The car
riages began to sway to and fro, and L
heard exclamations of fear from the pas
sengers.
"GOod heaven" cried one ofthe guards,
coming In at that moment, what is that
fellow doing? Look, sir, and see how
we are going"
/ looked at the window, and found that
we were dashing along at speed never
before travelled on that road. Posts,
fences, rocks, and trees, flew by in one
undistinguished mass, and the carriages
now swayed fearfully. 1 started to my
feet, and met passenger on the plat
form. He was one of the chief owners
of our road, and was just on his way to
Berlin. He was pale and excited.
"Sir," he gasped, sis Martin Kroller
on the engine?p
"Yes, " l told him.
Holy Virgin didn'tyou know him."
Know " / repeated, somewhat puz-
zled. "What do you mean? He told
me his name was Kroller, and that he
was an engineer. We had no one to run
on the engine, and"
"You took him !" interrupted the
man. "Good heavens, sir, he is as crazy
as man can be? He turned his brain
over new plan for applying steam pow
er. saw him at the station, but did
not recognize him, as l was in a hurry.
Just now one of your passengers told me
that your engineers were all gone this
morning, and that you found one that
was a stranger to you. Then l knew
that the man whom 1 had seen was
Martin Kroller. He had escaped from
the hospital at Settin. You must get
him Off somehow.
The whole fearful truth was now open
to me. The speed of the train was in
creasing every moment and knew that
a few more miles per hour, would launch
us all into destruction. l called to the
guard and then made my way forward
as quick as possible. l reached the after
platform of the after tender, and there
stood Kroller upon the engine-boartl, his
hat and coat off, his long black hair float
ing wildly in the wind, his shirt unbut-
toned at the throat, his sleeves rolled up,
with pistol in his teeth, and thus glar-
ing upon the fireman who lay motiop-
less upon the fuel. The furnace was
hot, and the engine was quivering and
swaying as though it would shiver in
pieces.
"Kroller! Krollerl" " cried, at the top
of my voice.
The crazy engineer started and
caught the pistol in his hand. Oh, how
these great black glared and how
ghastly and frightful the face looked.
"Ha! ha /! ha !" he yelled, demoniac-
ally, glaring upon me like reused lion.
"They swore that could not make
it! But see see See my new power
See my new engine! 1 made it and
they are jealous of me. made it, and
when it was done they stole it from me
been wandering in search of my great
engine, and they swore it was not made.
But havefoundit! Iknew it this morn
ing when l saw it ut Dantzig, and l was
determined to have it. And I've got it
Ho ho ho!-we're on the way to the
moon, say! BY the Virgin mother,
Well be in the moon in four-and-twenty
hours. Down, down, villain! If you
move I'll shoot you. F"
This was spoken to the poor fireman,
who at that moment attempted to rise,
and the frightened man sank back again.
Here's Little Oscue right at hand"
cried one of the guard.
But even as he spoke the buildings
were at hand. A sickeningsensations set
tied upon my heart, for supposed that
we were gone now. The houses flew by
like lightning. l knew if the officers
should be hurled into eternity in one
fearful crash. closed my eyes; but still
we thundered on. The officers had seen
our speed, and knowing that we could
not head up i'm that distance, they had
changed the switch, so that we went on.
But there was sure death ahead, If We
did not stop. Only fifteen miles ahead
was the town of Schwartz, on the Vistu-
la, and at the rate we were going we
should be there in few minutes, for each
minute carried us over mile. Above
the crash of the rails, and more terrific
than all else rose the demoniac yells of
the mad engineer.
"Merciful heavens!" gasped the
guardsman, "there is not moment to
lose. Schwartz is close by. But hold,
At that moment tall, stout German
student came over the platform where
we stood, and we saw the mailman had
his heavy pistol aimed at us. He grasp
ed heavy stick of wood, and with a
steadiness of nerve which l could not
have commanded, he hurled it with such
force and precision, that he knocked the
pistol from the maniac's hand. / saw
the movement, and on the instant that
the pistol fell / sprang forward, and
the German followed me. 1grasped ! the
man by the arm, but / should have been
nothing in his mad power, had l been
alone. He would have hurled me from
the platform, had not the student at
that moment struck him upon the head
with stick of wood, which he caught
as he came over the tender.
Kroller settled down like dead man,
and OH ths,next minute | shut off the
steam, and opened the valve. The freed
steam shrlelled and howled in its escape,
the speed began to decrease, and in a
few minutes more the danger was pass
ed. AS L settled back, entirely overcome
at the wild emotions that had ragged
within me, we began to turn the river,
and, before was fairly recovered, the
fireman had stopped the train In the
station house at Schwartz.
Martin Kroller, still insensible, was
taken from the platform; and as we car