Timeline of Slatington History

27 July 1913 (Sunday)

Investigation of accident on the Lehigh Valley Railroad,
near Slatington Pa., on July 27, 1913.
September 2, 1913.

On July 27, 1913, there was a rear-end collision between two freight trains, and a passenger train ran into the Wreckage, on the Lehigh Valley Railroad, near Slatington, Pa., resulting in the death of 1 employee and the injury of 27 Passengers and 4 employees.

After investigation of this accident the Chief Inspector of Safety appliances submits the following report.

Where this accident occurred the Lehigh Valley Railroad is a double track road, operated under the automatic block signal system, disk signals being used. At the point where the accident occurred there is a slight descending grade toward the east, and the track is on a thirty-foot fill. Approaching from the west, signal No. 1072 can be seen for a distance of nearly a mile before it is reached. Proceeding eastward from this signal, there is a five-degree curve. 1480 feet in length. which is followed by a tangent of 1032 feet, and then there is a four-degree curve 750 feet in length, extending to signal No. 1062. The collision occurred about 100 feet east of this signal. At the time of the accident there was a light mist rising from the river near by, but signal lights could be seen plainly.

Source: Lehigh Valley Railroad: Route of the Black Diamond and The New York Times (28 July 1913)