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.
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TODAY IN PHILADELPHIA – TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1915
There will be fair and clear skies over the city today. The high will reach a pleasant 80° and the low tonight about 64°. A train derailment on the line of the Philadelphia, Baltimore & Washington Railroad occurred at 5:40am this morning at 32nd & Market Streets. The train was bound for Jersey City and included 74 empty freight cars. The cause of the crash was an open switch which causing the train to leave the tracks and smash into the base of the Market Street tunnel. Five cars were completely demolished. The crew escaped with only minor injuries. The track is being cleared but will delay train lines until at least tonight.
Every trolley car bound for League Island this morning was filled to capacity with women and children intent on saying their goodbyes to the men they loved. The armored cruiser U.S.S. Tennessee sailed from the Navy Yard at 8:40am with 878 additional marines bound for Haiti. Along with 73 machine guns the ship also carried 250 miles of telephone and telegraph wire which will be used to set up a communication system on the Haitian part of the Island.
On the sports beat, the Phillies were rained out today in Cincinnati and will now have a respite for 3 days. They will open a series here against Brooklyn on the 13th. At Shibe Park today the A’s smacked 15 hits and still lost their 4th in a row to the White Sox, 9 to 4. A rousing contest of Automobile Polo was played last night at the Point Breeze Motordrome between teams representing Philadelphia and New York. Unfortunately New York’s foursome came out the winner, 3 goals to 1.
WAR NEWS
More and more the war in Europe also concerns the entertainment world. Vernon Castle, the famous dancer who performs with his wife Irene, has joined the Royal Flying Corps. Mr. Castle is shown below with his pet monkey Jeffery, who always flies with him, on his shoulder. Mr. Castle, born in England in 1887, plans to travel to Dayton, Ohio and purchase an aeroplane from the Wright Brothers’ company. He will report to the British army in December. [Edtior’s Note: Vernon Castle would serve with distinction in the Royal Flying Corps in Europe, flying over 300 missions. He was awarded the Croix de Guerre for bravery from the French. After America entered the war he returned to the United States to train pilots. On February 15, 1918 during a training flight in Texas his plane crashed and Castle was killed. The student pilot and Mr. Castle’s pet monkey escaped serious injury.]
Vernon Castle and Jeffery
One the western front, fierce and brutal fighting is occurring in west Flanders along the Ypres-Dixmude line. The Germans opened the fighting with a tremendous artillery barrage and the use of asphyxiating gases. British and French cannon returned fire followed by British infantry attacks which stopped the German advance.
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