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 8, 1915
Today the city will see overcast skies with showers this afternoon and evening. Today’s high will be 81° with the low about 67°.
Has Frank Holt/ Erich Muenter struck again from the grave? An explosion has occurred on the British steamship “Minnehaha” (shown below) which resulted in a fire in one of its holds. The ship is carrying munitions to the Allies. The explosion happened 570 miles southeast of Halifax. The ship left New York on Saturday and it is known that Muenter wrote to his wife saying that he planted a bomb on a ship in port at New York City before proceeding to J.P. Morgan’s home in Glen Cove. The ship is now returning to Halifax.
In local news, the grain shovelers at the Girard Point elevator walked out on strike yesterday demanding a wage increase. Ten minutes later they returned to work with the same wages. This is almost certainly the shortest strike in Philadelphia history and may also be the shortest in the nation.
The Northeastern Federation of Negro Women, meeting here in convention at the Allen African Methodist Episcopal Church, 17th & Bainbridge Streets, has resolved to continue their efforts to meet with President Wilson and ask for his aid in stopping Negro lynchings. Previous requests for meetings were denied because the President was too busy with matters of state. It is believed 70 Negros were lynched last year.
In sports, the Phillies played 2 yesterday and split the doubleheader with the Giants. Today they started a series with Pittsburgh by dropping the 1st game 2 to 0. The A’ also split their doubleheader yesterday with the Yankees. Today they are traveling to St. Louis to meet the Browns for a 3 game series starting tomorrow. Boys in the neighborhood of Delaware & Fairmount Avenues have a new place to spend their time. The Delaware A.C. Boxing Club has opened. The club is located on the Rapid Transit Company’s pier and run by the night watchman, James Welsh. Mr. Welsh says the club will teach the boys boxing and give them somewhere to expend their energies. It will also keep them off the streets, which usually leads to trouble.
WAR NEWS
On the western front, a bloody bayonet battle took place today north of the Souchez railway station between the French and Germans. The French won the day, slaughtering the Germans and taking no prisoners. All along the area north of Arras infantry and artillery engagements are continuing. On the Italian-Austrian front, Italy has launched an enormous fleet of planes in an aerial attack on the Austrian fortress city of Goritz and the Austrian positions southward toward Trieste.
GET YOUR COPY OF “PHILADELPHIA: THE WORLD WAR I YEARS” AT AMAZON.COM, BARNES & NOBLE AND OTHER BOOK STORES OR JUST CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW.