THOMAS

Posted by Cathy Gowdy on Thursday, October 26, 2006 at 10:56:13 :

The Marin Tocsin
Saturday, August 25, 1900
Page 3

FATAL ACCIDENT

A Hero’s Life Goes Out on Old Tamalpais

The first accident on the Scenic Railroad during four years of active operation occurred last Wednesday morning and a brave man lost his life, resolutely remaining at the post of duty.

It was the 7:10 train from the mountain and only three or four passengers were on board. The cars were going at a reasonable speed, when suddenly Engineer E. G. Thomas called to Fireman Marina to jump and save himself. Whether the train had got beyond control at that awful moment or whether the heroic engineer felt it leaving the track will never be known. Marina obeyed the warning none too soon. The next moment the big locomotive went crashing to its doom. It ploughed through an embankment on the outside of the track and turned and turned over on its side just on the very brink of a precipitous descent. Its bulk checked the cars and the passengers were uninjured.

Fireman Marina dashed into the wreck of the locomotive amid hissing steam and flying wheels to rescue his companion. Engineer Thomas was found unconscious in the cab, his hand still on the throttle. He was carried to his home in Mill Valley, where every medical aid was rendered, but in vain. He had sustained a severe fracture of the skull and was terribly burned by the scalding steam. He passed away at 6 p.m. of the same evening.

The deceased engineer was a man of the greatest discretion and his employers placed every confidence in his good judgment. What kind of material he was made of is best proved by his heroic death. He could have saved himself easily, but preferred to stay by his post, let the consequences be what they might. He leaves a wife and two children. The citizens of Mill Valley have raised a purse of $1000 for their benefit.

What caused the derailment will doubtless never be known. Railroad accidents occur from time to time that no one can explain satisfactorily. They simply happen; just as some years ago a locomotive jumped the track on the Narrow Gauge, while traversing a straight stretch of road, on a dead level. Engineer Lucas lost his life in this accident and no one has ever been able to present even a theory as to how the catastrophe occurred. A coroner’s inquest was held in Mill Valley, but no light was thrown on the sad tragedy further than the testimony of the fireman, who gave it as his judgment that the brakes suddenly refused to work and the sudden onward movement derailed the locomotive.

The wreck was speedily removed and travel resumed on Thursday.

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Death Notice in the same paper:
THOMAS – In Mill Valley, August 22d, Earnest George, beloved husband of Ortency I. Thomas (nee Lovie [or Lovle?]), the brother of Joseph H., Wm. J., Effie A., Louise F., Frank R. and Henry J. Thomas; a native of California, aged 30 years 1 month and 22 days.