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 often for new updates.
To share your family or neighborhood stories, please email PhillyWWIyears@gmail.com
TODAY IN PHILADELPHIA – THURSDAY, JULY 29, 1915
Today’s forecast calls for partly cloudy skies with thunder showers this evening. Today’s high will be 83° with the low tonight about 70°.
In local news, the city announced today that contracts in the amount of $300,000.00 have been awarded for street improvement and paving. Of that figure almost $100,000.00 worth were awarded to companies owned or controlled by the Vare Brothers and State Senator James P. McNichol. Edwin Vare will repave Passyunk Avenue from South Street to 18th Street with wood block. While the McNichol company will repave 4th & 5th Streets from Market to Walnut also with wood block.
Many girls of the Italian Colony in South Philadelphia have organized themselves into a Health League. The purpose of the League is to learn about good health measures, healthy home-making and sanitation. The League regularly meets on the roof garden of the Child Federation Health Centre at 12th & Carpenter Streets (shown below) for lectures and instructions. Often they are visited by speakers from the Board of Health.
The North Kensington Business Men’s Association will be holding its 3rd annual outing at Riverview Beach on the Delaware River in Pennsville, New Jersey. Today the steamship Queen Ann left Philadelphia with 1500 members of the Association and their families and friends for a day of amusements, games and picnicking.
In international news, United States Marines and bluejackets from the U.S.S. Washington have been landed in Haiti and are now in control of both Port-au-Prince and Cape Haitien. Five hundred marines and sailors landed at Port-au-Prince and surrounded the United States Consulate and the French Legation. Foreign residents and Haitians cheered the Americans as they marched through the streets of the capital. Additional marines were landed at Cape Haitien from the U.S.S. Eagle at the request of the French Consulate which was being menaced by mobs. The U.S.S. Jason is en route from Guantanamo, Cuba with additional troops.
WAR NEWS
In the Atlantic Ocean German submarine warfare seemed to have been halted from July 14th to July 24th. But beginning on Sunday the 25th German U-Boats again began wreaking havoc. In just the last 5 days 32 vessels have been sunk. The ships included steamers, schooners and trawlers. The nationalities of the ships were 21 British, 4 Danish, 3 Norwegian, 2 Swedish, 1 French and 1 American vessel. On the eastern front, the fighting around Warsaw is now centered at the confluence of the Narew and Bug rivers. The Germans are said to have 500,000 men in the campaign.
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