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 – WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 1916

The city will have another cloudy day with the probability of light rain this evening. The high will be around 64° and the overnight low near 43°. Grave diggers at Holy Cross Cemetery are on strike. The strike has caused the postponement of burials yesterday and today. Thirteen funeral processions had to be disbanded upon arrival at the cemetery this morning. The bodies were placed in a temporary receiving vault along with those from yesterday. Unless the strike is settled soon the vault will be filled to capacity. The strikers are demanding a raise of .25¢ a day.

George Washington’s teeth are here and on display. President Washington’s false teeth can be seen at the Dental Convention this week being held on the rooftop of the Hotel Adelphia, 1229 Chestnut Street. Other exhibits include dental tools used aboard a whaling ship in 1723 and a reproduction of an old fashion dental office with equipment from bygone days.

Notwithstanding the Phillies loss in the World Series last season, Philadelphia does have a baseball champion. Her name is Miss Dorothy Baldwin (shown below).

Miss Dorothy Baldwin

Miss Dorothy Baldwin

“Dot” as she is called by her fellow students at Wellesley College has been judged the best baseball player among all the girls at the college and presented with a beautiful cup. Miss Baldwin is a resident of this city and under her guidance Wellesley won the women’s college indoor baseball championship. Not only is she a brilliant fielder but she is also an accomplished bats woman. Because Miss Baldwin has not received any offers from big league teams as yet she intends to organize an outdoor baseball team for Wellesley, which will be the first in the school’s history. And she intends to play 2nd base.

In International news, Martial Law has been proclaimed in Dublin and troops are being rushed from England to put down the revolt. That announcement was made today by Prime Minister Asquith in the House of Commons. Mr. Asquith also said that British forces have also been dispatched from Belfast to southern Ireland.

WAR NEWS

German cruisers bombarded the English coastal cities of Yarmouth and Lowestoft yesterday. Four people are reported killed and 12 wounded. In Lowestoft 240 homes were damaged by the shelling with 40 of those suffering severe damage. At the same time zeppelins dropped over 100 bombs near the Thames estuary east of London. No casualties were reported from that attack. On the western front, Russian troops have landed in France and are reportedly to be sent to support the French at Verdun. In the Middle East, British reinforcements sent to relieve the trapped garrison at Kut-el-Amara have again been stopped. The British attempted but failed to break through the Turkish lines at Sannaiyat yesterday on the northern bank of the Tigris River.

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

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