The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-02-27
WOMAN AND TWO
LITTLE ONES
MEET DEATH
Awful Fate of Mrs. EmeIia
RutZke and Two Children
at Winter Quarters.
CRUSHED UNDER CARS
LOADED WITH COAL
VICTIMS CAUGHT ON TRACK
WHERE SNOW WAS BANKED
ON EITHER SIDE.
Especial to The Herald.)


Scoheld, Utah, Feb. 26.-The most ap-
palling accident to take place since the
big explosion at Winter Quarters, in
May, 1900, occurred early this morning,
when, without any warning, Mrs Eme-
LA Rutzke and her two children, the
youngest, Martha, a babe in arms, and
the older ore. Anna, but years old,
were run down by two loaded box cars
that had run away from the loading
tracks of the Utah Fuel company.
Mrs. Rutzke was on her way to VIM
ter quarters with her three children.
the oldest, a boy of 9. and the two chill
dren who lost their lives along with
their mother. When at a point about
half way between Scoheld and Winter
Quarters, and at a place where the
snow was banked up high on both
sides, they were met by the runaway
cars and caught like mice in a trap.
Escape impossible.
F1om the marks in the snow, it is
evident that Mrs. RUtzke made a brave
effort TO save the lives of herself and
children, but the cars, which were COM
ing at the rate of at least sixty miles
an hour, were upon them almost before
they realized their danger, The boy,
Fritz, was the only one of the party of
four who escaped. When the cars
struck the mother and two children.
they were dragged along under the
cars until they were literally ground to
pieces, it being some time before the
remains were identified. After the cars
had passed the boy came back to the
track and found the mangled bodies
of his mother and two baby sisters.
Immediately after the accident was
sickening. Pieces of the bodies were
everywhere, and the ! ~, gTief-stricken
and frightened half TO death, stood
there apparently not realizing the ex-
tent of the terrible tragedy just en-
acHd. He was taken away by by
ISLANDERS and the father, Herman
Rutzke, who was at work at the Union
Pacific mine, was notified and imme-
diately taken TO the scene of the disas-
ter. He was paralyzed with grief and
had to be taken from the spot.
After the coroner had been called the
remains were gathered in a sheet and
taken back to the little home which the
little family had left but scant hour
previously.
Alarm Given at Once.
Lmmediately after the cars started
lFAin w " uol NCAH lAlt UAliNt vi THO
Utah Fuel company at that place called
up the depot at Sco6eld and gave the
alarm. As soon as possible the switch
leading to the Winter Quarters main
line was thrown to the only other track
where more lives would not have been
sacrificed OF the three tracks at SEQ
field one was occupied by the coach
containing passengers just about TO
pull out for Cotton, and on the other
Of, NJ NJ
IAN engine just about to start for Win
ter Quarters. AS the runaway cars
swung into the track for which the
switch was set the rear car left the
rails and crashed into a box car stand
ing on a siding, and both cars were de-
molished. The foremost car ran about
a hundred yards further, where it also
crashed into a loaded car, and these
two cars were also demolished. As the
cars came together the dust from the
coal they contained raised such a cloud
that the debris could not be seen fer
several minutes.
Run by Gravity.
As cars are loaded at the mines they
are run away from the loader by graV-
ity and are controlled by the hand
brakes. As these cars were being
dropped this morning they got away
from the man having them in charge,
for some reason as yet unknown, and
started towards the darail switch A
section hand who was picking the ice
from the switch at that time is said by
people who claim TO have been near to
have thrown for the main line, and on
seeing the cars coming became SO ex-
cited that he forgot to throw it back TO
the derail position and the cars ran out
on to the main line asd down the steep
grade towards Scofield- In the mean
time the two men who were on top of
the cars had Jumped into the deep snow
and were uninjured.
The inquest Will be held at Scofield
at 10 O'Clock tomorrow morning.
Although all evidence points TO the tact
that Mrs Baekman and her four children
were murdered before the house was fired
Continued or Page 5.