Considering an automatic train car loader drops 100 tons in a car in a few seconds, they probably were crushed.
Not to mention when the coal car is rotary dumped into a hopper at the power station.
Unlikely they were found until some unlucky worker had to go clean out a plugged up coal feeder.
“they probably were crushed”
You’re half right:
FTA:
“But they do know that Artes died from asphyxiation—meaning that he was likely buried alive. Hendershot died from blunt force trauma to the mid-section, meaning that she likely died from falling or by having coal fall on her.”