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. So, check back often for new editions. To share your family or neighborhood stories, please email PhillyWWIyears@gmail.com
TODAY IN PHILADELPHIA – TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1917
There will be fair skies over the city today and this evening with gentle winds from the northeast. Today’s high will reach 68° and tonight’s low near 54°. Beginning at sunset today Jews will celebrate Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement. Jews consider this holiday as one of the most solemn periods of their calendar.
High school students are protesting to the Board of Education about the increased prices being charged for lunch. The new school year brought an all-around rise of prices. Previously several slices of bread and a bowl of soup where given together for one price. Now each item must be bought separately. And milk has risen from 3¢ to 5¢ for a ½ pint and 5¢ to 7¢ for a pint.
This week two more hospital units are scheduled to leave for the front. Naval Hospital Unit No. 5 organized by the Methodist Hospital, Broad & Jackson Streets and St. Agnes’s Hospital, Broad & Mifflin Streets. Both hospitals are in South Philadelphia. The exact date of departure and destination of the units are held as military secrets.
In baseball today, the New York Giants have clinched the pennant of the National League with a win yesterday in St. Louis. Although there are 9 games left on the schedule, the 2nd place Phillies are 10 games back. The White Sox captured the American League flag back in late august. Today the Phillies dropped their game to the Pirates 3 to 0 out at Forbes Field. The Phillies only managed to get 4 hits. Joe Oeschger went 7 innings and took the loss. The A’s made it six losses in a row today as they fell to the Browns 4 to 2. Jing Johnson took the loss. This is the 50th loss of the season for Mr. Mack’s team as they appear to have secured the last spot in the American League standings.
WAR NEWS
French military authorizes have announced that for the first time in the war the number of artillery men now equal the number of infantry soldiers at the front. This is in support of the enormous build up in preparation for new assaults. French artillery is now firing 1,000,000 shells a day at German positions. In the air war, England was struck again last night by a fleet of German aeroplanes and zeppelins. Fifteen are reported dead and at least seventy are injured. The attacks took place in south east London where 9 were killed and 23 wounded. The other attack occurred on the Yorkshire and Lincolnshire coasts.
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