The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1875-10-07

| "eI0 III hioI1Oh. ioetpod upon Tic pau
form of the guard carriage, and in few
minutes more the station-house was fan
behind us.
In less than an hour we reached Dir.
| sham, where we took up the passengers
that had come on the konigsberg rail
way. Here I went forward and asked
Kroller how he liked the engine. He
replied that he liked it very much.
''But, " he added, with strange spark
ling of the eye, wait until I get my i'm
provement, and then you will see travel
ing. BY the soul of the Virgin Mother,
sir, could run an engine of my con-
struction to the moon in four-and twenty
hours !''
| I smiled at what thought his enthus-
iasm, and then went back to my station
AS soon as the Konigsberg passengers
We're all on board, and their baggage
carriage attached, we started on again.
Soon after, [ went into the guard car
riage, and sat down. An early train
| from Knigsberg had been through two
hours before reaching Bromberg, and
that was at Little Oscue, where we took
| on board the Western mail.
''How we go?" uttered one of the
guard, some fifteen minutes after we had
left Dirsham
'sThe new engineer is trying the
speed - I replied, not yet having any
fear.
But erelong I began to apprehend he
was running little too fast. The car
riages began to sway to and fro, and [
could hear exclamations of fright from
the passengers.
'sGood heavens !" cried one Of the
guard, come III at that moment, "what
is that fellow doing L )ok, 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 swaved fearfully. Istart-
ed to my feet, and met passenger on
the platform, He was one of the chief
owners of our road, and was just on his
way to Berlin. He was pale and excit-
ed.
''Sir," he gasped, sis Martin KrolIer
on the engine %
eyes" told him.
"Eoly Virgin didn't you know him?"
"Know?" [ repeated, somewhat puz-
zled; 'fwhat do you mean? He told me
his name was Kroller, and that he was
an engineer. We had no one to run the
engine, and"
''You took hina!' interrupted the
man. "Good heavens, sir, he is as
crazy as man can b! ! He turned his
brain over new plan for applying
steam power. I saw him at the station
but did not fully recognize him, as was
III a hurry. Just now one of your pas
sengers told me that your engineers
were all gone this morning, and that
you found one that was a stranger to
you. Then [ knew that the man whom
I had seen was Martin Kroller. He had
escaped from the hospital at Stettin.
You must get him off some how"
The whole fearful truth was now open
to me. The speed of the train was in
creasing every moment, and I knew that
a few more miles per hour would launch
us all into destruction. I called to the
guard, and then made my way forward
as quick as possible. [ reached the af-
ter platform of the after tender, and
there stood Kroller upon the engine
board, his hat and coat off, his long
black hair floating wildly in the wind
his shirt unbuttoned at the front, his
sleeves rolled up, with a pistol in his
teeth, and thus glaring upon the fire.
men, who lay motionless upon the fuel.
The furnaces was stuffed till the very
latch of the door was red hot, and the
whole engine was quivering and sway
ing as though it would shiver to pieces.
''Kroller 20 cried at the top of my
voice.
The crazy engineer started and caught
the pistol in the hand. 0. how those
great black eyes glared, and how ghast-
ly and frightful the face looked
''Ha ha ha !" he yelled demoniacal-
ly, glaring upon me like reused lion.
''They swore that I could not make
it But see see See my new power
See my new engine I made it, and
they are jealous of me ! I made it, and
when it was done, they stole it from
me. But 1 have found it For years
I have been wandering in search of my
great engine, and they swore it was not
made. But I have found it I knew it
this morning when saw it at Dantzic,
and was determined to have it. And
I've got it Ho ho! no we're on the
way to the moon, I say! By the Virgin
Mother, we'll be in the moon in four
and-twenty hours. Down, down, vii
lain If you move, I'll shoot you
This was spoken to the poor fireman,
who at the moment attempted to rise,
and the frightened man sank back again.
Here's Little Oscone Just before us!''
cried out one of the guard. But even
as he spoke the buildings were at hand
A sickening sensation settled upon my
heart, for I supposed that we were now
gone. The houses few by like ighn-
ing. I knew if the officers here had
turned the switch as usual, we should