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, OCTOBER 6, 1915
There will be partly cloudy skies over the city today. The high will be around 70° with the overnight low about 54°. The Department of Health announced that during the 1915 summer season 3,073,131 persons visited the public bathhouses. Surprisingly, considering the heat waves of this summer, this was a decrease of 36,071 from 1914.
Another location has announced it will be providing up to the moment accounts of each play of the World Series. The Third Regiment Armory, Broad & Wharton Streets, will display every play on a large electric ball field as they occur. The public is invited free of charge. Electric bulletin machines will also be reporting the progress of the games at the Broadway Theatre, Broad Street & Snyder Avenue, Peacock’s Pharmacy, Broad & Erie, the Colonial Theatre, Germantown & Maplewood Avenue and the Nixon Theatre, 52nd & Market Streets.
In society news, Pierre S. du Pont, president of the great powder manufacturing firm in Wilmington, was married today to Miss Alice Belin of Scranton, Pennsylvania. However, the marriage took place at the New York City apartment of the bride’s brother because the marriage would have been illegal in Pennsylvania because the couple are cousins.
In national news, President Wilson announced today that he intends to vote for the suffrage amendment in New Jersey on October 19th. The President explained he is not voting as a leader of his party or as leader of the nation but only as a private citizen and according to his convictions. He stated he believes New Jersey would greatly benefit from women having the vote. But he also said he believes this is a matter for the states and not the federal government.
In sports, The Phillies and the Athletics both finished their seasons with doubleheaders today and both teams ended with wins. The Phillies beat the Dodgers 9 to 6 and 3 to 2. The A’s defeated the Senators 6 to 4 and 4 to 0.
WAR NEWS
The Marquis of Crewe presented information he has received to the House of Lords in London today that 800,000 Armenians have been slain by the Turks since last May. On the continent, Alfred Dreyfus (shown below), who was convicted by a French military court of spying for Germany in 1894 and sent to Devil’s Island before being exonerated in 1906 is now in command of one of the forts protecting Paris. Many believe the “Dreyfus Affair” was the result of anti-Semitism in the French army. Major Dreyfus had retired from the army in 1907 but re-entered at the outbreak of war.
In the Balkans it appears that the Kingdom of Bulgaria is moving toward war. Today Bulgaria demanded of Servia that it cede to it the region called “Vadar Macedonia”. Servia is expected to completely reject the ultimatum. On September 6th Bulgaria entered into a treaty of alliance with Germany.
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