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 – FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1915

There will be clear and bright skies over the city today. The temperatures will remain on the cold side with today’s high at about 39° and the low tonight near 29°.

Captain Robert Lee Russell (shown below), formerly commander of the battleship South Carolina, today assumed command of the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Captain Russell was appointed to replace Captain John Knapp who died at his desk last September 29th. Captain Russell was greeted upon his arrival this morning by the heads of all departments, the full complement of sailors and marines stationed at the Yard, the commander of marines and the marine band.  The new commandant is 51 years old and a native of South Carolina.

12-3-1915 Captain Robert Russell

A parade and festival will be held tonight in Germantown as part of “Electrical Prosperity Week”. The parade will begin at 30th & Girard Avenue led by the members of the Germantown Business Men’s Association and proceed east on Girard to 25th Street then north to Columbia Avenue, east to Broad Street, north to Erie Avenue and out Germantown Avenue to Washington Lane. Germantown Avenue is fully decorated with flags and bunting and of course electric lights from Wayne Junction to Washington Lane. Every shop has arranged a special electrical light window display. The parade will include over 50 floats, marching bands and 300 automobiles.

On the sports scene, in basketball tonight at Cooper Battalion Hall, 23rd & Christian Streets, the Greystock Greys will meet the Jasper Jewels. In boxing at the Quaker City A.A., 26th & Dauphin Streets, heavyweights Tyrone Costello of North Penn and Howard Truesdale of Kensington meet in the windup. Four other bouts are on the card. At the Nonpareil A.C., Kensington Avenue & Ontario Street, welterweights Joe Heffernan of West Philly takes on Terry Martin of Southwark in the featured fight.

WAR NEWS

 On the western front, there is considerable fighting in the Artois region of France. German infantry attacks were repulsed by artillery barrages. On the Italian-Austrian front heavy winter storms are making military operations difficult. However, the Austrians have attempted infantry assaults on the Isonzo River along the northern slope of Monte San Michele which were driven back by the Italians. Reports from the Balkans state that the Bulgarians have captured the city of Brodi in southern Serbia.

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

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