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 – SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1915

There will be partly cloudy skies over the city today with probable showers this evening and perhaps tomorrow. The high today will reach 91° with the overnight low about 69°.

The Drexel Biddle Bible Class will open its planned military training camp in Lansdowne at Lansdowne Avenue & Garrett Road. Mr. A.J. Drexel Biddle has arranged for a number of visiting officers from the army to act as instructors for the volunteers.

The Bureau of Health released its weekly mortality report today. The report showed 523 total deaths which is an increase of 50 over last week. Children under the age of two accounted for 71 deaths. Also 41 cases of typhoid fever were reported this week which is causing health officials concern since that is an increase of 10 new cases from last week.

In entertainment around the city this weekend a number of new motion picture photoplays have arrived at theatres. They include; Charles Chaplin in “The Mix-Up” at the Great Northern, Broad & Erie; Lottie Pickford in “The Diamond from the Sky” at the Eureka, 40^th & Market; Lottie’s older sister Mary can be seen in “Behind the Scenes” at the Overbrook, 63^rd & Haverford Avenue and Francis X. Bushman and Ruth Stonehouse appear in “The Slim Princess” at the Paschall, 71^st & Woodland Avenue.  In vaudeville at the National, 10^th & Callowhill, Sam Rice’s Daffydil Girls are on stage nightly. And at the Globe, Juniper & Market Street, the “Revue of 1915” has come to town with 25 Broadway songs.

Yesterday on the southern border 15 Mexican soldiers were killed in a gunfight with American troops at Donna, Texas about 50 miles north of Brownsville. Also, American troops have been told to shoot on sight at anyone firing onto American territory from Mexico. As a result of the continuing violence south of the border, the battleships “USS Kearsarge” and “USS Kentucky” left the Navy Yard at League Island today bound for Mexico. Both ships were fully provisioned and carried large supplies of ammunition.

On the sports beat, the first college football game of the season in our area was played today between the Carlisle Indians and Albright in Carlisle, Pa. From the opening kickoff the Aborigines looked like the stronger team and easily won the contest 21 to 7.

In baseball, the Athletics played their 2^nd doubleheader in as many days and came away splitting with Cleveland. The A’s took the 1^st game 7 to 5. Bill Morrisette (shown below) is Connie Mack’s new pitching find. He was given the ball in game 1 for his first professional outing and got the win.

Mr. Mack’s other new pitcher, Harry Weaver (shown below), who formerly pitched for the Union Petroleum Company of this city, made his debut in the 2^nd game but did not do as well. He allowed 9 hits and gave up 5 runs as the A’s lost 5 to 1. The Phillies are out in Cincinnati and beat the Reds 4 to 2.

GET YOUR COPY OF PHILADELPHIA: THE WORLD WAR I YEARS BY JUST CLICKING ON THE LINK BELOW OR STOP IN AT YOUR NEAREST BARNES & NOBLE OR OTHER BOOK STORES.