My husband's great grandfather was the fireman on this train, Thomas Downie (1871-1904)
From:
http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=pf_output.c...Monroe, Snohomish County Washington:
Tragic Mischief
An appalling tragedy for Monroe residents occurred in mid-May 1904, when two youngsters tampered with the main Great Northern Railway switch from the main line to the Holmquist spur. The train went through the switch at 30 miles per hour. The heavy engine crashed into two box cars being loaded with shingles. The loading crew had left just minutes before the impact, which saved their lives. The boxcars were splintered completely, and two railroad men died at the scene. The two young boys were arrested.
On Washington state archives at:
http://www.digitalarchives.wa.gov/ViewRecord.aspx?RID=EFD327...Thomas Downey died 16 May 1904 in Seattle, King County, age 32, married, birthplace Kansas, cause of death Extreme violence, railroad accident, occupation locomotive fireman, father Robert Downie, born Ireland, mother Sarah Henley, born Ireland. returned by C. E. Hoyt
From:
http://www.monroehistoricalsociety.org/holmquist.html1904 Holmquist Mill Train Wreck
The mid-May 1904 train wreck at the east end of Monroe at Holmquist Mill was caused by two boys—11 and eight years of age—tampering with the main track switch. It was before block signals were installed. The train went through the switch at 30 mph even though the engineer had seen the open switch, applied the breaks and reversed the engine. The engineer jumped from the engine and was badly bruised when he fell on a barrel. The train crashed into two box cars being loaded with shingles at the mill. The engine splintered the box cars and pushed them off the end of the spur before it buried its nose in the dirt. Brakeman Marshall died in the crash. Fireman Downey was pinned in the wreck and died four hours later still pinned in.