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 – TUESDAY, MAY 23, 1916
Today will be another cloudy day with possible rain this afternoon or evening. The high will be about 60° with the low near 50°. The City is entering its 2nd day of Clean-Up week and already hundreds of tons of trash and debris have been collected and removed by the Sanitation Department. Ash wagons and trash trucks are traveling through every street, alley, nook and cranny to pick up the dirt and rubbish collected by the residents of every neighborhood in the drive to make Philadelphia a clean and healthy city.
Demands from many prominent Philadelphians including Coroner William Knight are being made on City Councils for the regulation of speeding automobiles and trucks through the streets. This year so far 51 persons have been killed, including 3 within the last 24 hours. Former president Judge Sulzberger has joined the movement and has even prepared ordinances for Councils to stop the killing of pedestrians by automobiles and motor trucks. However, the ordinances were left to flounder in committee. Judge Sulzberger has drafted one regulation calling for a speed limit of 8 miles per hour at all street crossings. Coroner Knight has also called for an ordinance requiring prospective drivers to undergo testing of their eyesight and nerves. The latest deaths are Herman Shlischman, 21 years old of 951 North 5th Street, Laura Chedt, 2 and 1/2 years old of 304 Federal Street and Leroy Marshall, 8 years old of 2836 North Swanson Street.
In baseball yesterday at Shibe Park, Elmer Myers won his 6th straight game of the season as the A’s beat the Indians 10 to 8. Out in Chicago Grover Cleveland Alexander chalked up his 7th win as the Phillies beat the Cubs 5 to 3. Today the A’s host Cleveland again at Shibe Park and the Phillies play the Cubs again in Chicago in the 3rd of their 4 games series. In boxing, a new arena will open tonight on South Street between 4th and 5th Streets. The Model A.C. will open with a 5 fight card.
WAR NEWS
On the western front, the French have begun the largest counter-offensive since the Battle of Verdun began 3 months ago. The fighting started last night with an artillery barrage. Then this morning all along the line French troops attacked German strongholds. One of the main objectives of the French is the recapture of Fort Douaumont. Meanwhile the British have admitted the loss of 1500 yards of trenches at the north end of Vimy Ridge between Loos and Arras. In the Alps, the Italian army has now fallen back an additional 10 miles in the face of ferocious Austrian assaults. Italian positions on the Lavarone plateau have fallen. Presently the Austrian artillery is conducting a furious shelling of Italian positions around Arsiero which is inside Italian territory.
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