On this page we will look back at life in the city during the war years. Here we will provide the visitor with the stories making the news, what was happening in sports and entertainment, city politics, the social scene and the prominent people at the time. We will also recount the events occurring in the war on that day. So, check back each day for new editions.

To share your family or neighborhood stories, please email PhillyWWIyears@gmail.com

TODAY IN PHILADELPHIA –MONDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1915

There will be clear and fair skies today with slightly warmer temperatures. The high today will reach 73° with the low about 46°. Shoppers took advantage of the mild weather and packed Market Street making store owners very happy (shown below).

Shoppers On Market Street

The life of 3 year old Ruth Bell of 1933 N. Stanley Street was saved today by a rag doll. Little Ruth was playing in the upstairs front room of her 2 story home while her mother cleaned in a back room. The little girl must have climbed on a chair to look out the window. Her mother heard her scream and ran to the child. But she was gone. She looked out the window and saw her daughter lying on the pavement below. Mrs. Bell rushed to the street fearing the worse but miraculously found the child unhurt. She had landed on the large rag doll that she always played with and it acted as a cushion protecting her from the hard pavement.

In business news, the Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company has formally moved into its new build at the southeast corner of 6th & Walnut Streets. The final step was the movement of $70,000,000 worth of securities from the former location to the vault in this state of art building. Quietly throughout last week the company moved its files, mortgages and other securities totaling $80,000,000 to the new home of the company. The new vault is made of armor-plate steel, it is fire, water and burglar proof and weighs 22 tons. The new building is 9 stories high and cost $1,000,000 to build. It is equipped with the most modern business conveniences like pneumatic tubes to carry mail and documents throughout the structure and machines for tabulating and recording records. Also, the North Philadelphia Horse Bazaar has relocated to 2421-23 North Broad Street and will celebrate today with a big inaugural sale.

In World Series news, the management of B.F. Keith’s Theatre, 1116 Chestnut Street, has announced that they will receive by direct wire the complete details of all the games and announce them from the stage as they come in. In other sports news, the Chicago Whales have won the pennant of the Federal League of Baseball. Chicago edged out the St. Louis Terriers for the crown. In boxing tonight at the Olympia A.A., Broad & Bainbridge, an international welterweight match features knockout king George Chaney of Baltimore against Eddie Morgan of England. Four other matches are on the card.

WAR NEWS

The mightiest German fortress on the western front, Metz, has been bombed by a large squadron of French aeroplanes. In a separate action allied aeroplanes bombed the German naval base at Zeebrugge. On the ground, fierce fighting is reported both north and south of Arras. In the east, Field Marshal von Hindenburg’s drive toward Minsk has been halted. The Cossack cavalry has fought brilliantly in checking the Germans.

GET YOUR COPY OF PHILADELPHIA: THE WORLD WAR I YEARS BY JUST CLICKING ON THE LINK BELOW.

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