New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-12-30
THE ENGIYF-ROOM HAUNTED.

WHY AN OLD ENGINEER LEFT GOOD BERTH.
1t was late and everybody in the car was half
asleep The conductor upon the rail and nodded and
the driver fingered the rens and prOdded his horses Ia
way that showed he wholly Indifferent to the subject
Of rapid transit The car stopped at a crossing for mo-
ment and man with round red face and subby, red
beard cambered aboard and took seat by the side OF
TRIBUNE reporter Although the night was bitter cold he
wore a thin coat. From beneath round, black
cap which covered his head hung few locks OF curly
gray hair.
sort cold amt it," said he as he turned up his coat
DOLLAR and breathed upon his fingers TO make them warm
~ suppose feel II than you 10, because have
been workin' In a boiler all day and part OF to-
night" he continued 81 am a steamboat engineer by
trade, beln ont OF job and in need % little
packn,' took the task Of fixing mp boiler IN down
town warehouse man who won't work when he's got
the chance ought go to the pOOrhOuse ald the old
engineer by way emphasis brought down his fist upon
his knee with such whack that q fat woman In the
neighboring corner opened her eyes With jump, and
wanted to know II the car had struck grocery store
On being convinced that nothing OF the kind had hap
peued back into her again. and was soon
fast asleep.
"Pve been an engineer for more than twenty years
off and o. and during that time have
held some pretty responsible situations guess
5adTv took me down ato the en- tneroom Of the factory
where he worked aud let me look Into the redm0uthed
All aS a W T t hS % sIff and Wondered
all meant When got old enough served my time as
prentice and became engineer myself MY nrst sea,trp
was on the Atlas, runnn between Liverpool and New
York. 1t big position IN them days and paid Weu'
What was the troabiei" inquired the reporter
uvstcrnus shake of hs head You see had been the
engineer OF the Atlas about five years when something
queer happened. We were about three days OUT from
NewNOrk return voyage. II had been raining TOT
twenty hours and the air below was kinder close
concluded would leave the gneroom ana go on deck
for q sniff OF the sea. when opened the door ana
stepped OUT INTO the passage N,y' almost "rT
q man who had evidently been peeping into tle room
through the keyhOlc. He Jumped up a. quick az ne cOd
and hurried without akin my pardon or maxim any
explanation. However got look az his race Tore ne
lie wa, a tall fellow with long black hair hollow
checked sharp black eyes that seemed to burn right
through "A man stOOpu' shoulders and had sneakin,
dog-goue gait. When | went below an hour later, |
cOuiu help feeling that that queer fellow eyes were
following me / sat down IN chair and tried 20 forget
all about him. but couldn't opened my door agaiu 70
he was outside but 40 one was there went TO my
want Ills face was forever staring at NE OUT OF
tho darkness. tossed and turned al
sleep When went down to the euZinc-ronm the next
morning who should find lynn dead on the floor his head
bodv bu that same man stumbled over the night be-
Ny assistant told me thar the fellow had come mo
the room pTeteucr other and, when his back
wa. turned, had Jumped right IN among the machinery
aud was crushed before the engine could be stopped
The queer part about the accident was that
man before Not one Of thc passeng ars was missing.
aud not a state or berth was empty The body was
buried the folio wing day. From that time on the
engincrOom of the Atlas haunted. At night when
storm was brewing the sea was very rough, the ma
cbincry ceaked aud grOaned like person In distress I'm
win dId we work over the bearings and friction parts
st they ccakcd The rcmcn IN the hold said that me
ghost Of the dead could be plainly seen on the tGrd
moh of a believer in ghosts but tell you that after
had listened the moauin and creakn that engine for
"A week had the face of that fellow looking out at me
nom every hole and corner the ship and
dispritcd. That's the reason why left the Atlas