davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-18
SIGHTLESS HEROES
OF WAR TO VISIT CITY
Seventeen Will Be Guests of
Working Home for Blind
Men

Seventeen American soldiers blinded
in battling with the German hordes will
"see" Philadelphia within the next few
days as the guests Of Frederick II. Mills,
superintendent of the Pennsylvania
Working Home for Blind Men. Two of
the group are Philadelphians. The exact
day of their visit depends upon the de-
cision of Lieutenant Colonel James
Bordley, T. s. A., who is in charge of
Base Hospital No. I. Baltimore, where
the sightless heroes are now under OBJ
servation.
Mr.. Mills will defray all expenses of
the trip The soldiers. the first men who
have returned from the war blind will
be taken through the Pennsylvania
Working Home. the Overbrook School
for the Blind and other institutions for
the sightless. They will also be taken
On "sightseeing" tour of the city.
The seventeen are under the care of
o. Fl. Burrett, superintendent of the
Overbrook school. who is also director
Of Base Hospital No. Z, which is the
Government experimental station for
blinded soldiers. 1t is there that the
HItll are tIltu oul ol various llHpS OF
work to determine the best method for
their re-educatiosl. 1t is said fourteen
Of the seventeen are Of the type best
suited to broom making and probably
will eventually become residents of the
local institution which is the sixth
largest broom factory In the United
States and has already been designat ed
by the Government as one of the chief
rehabilitation centers for blinded men
While in this city the blind soldiers
will he guests at one Of the noon lunch
cons of the workers in the campaign now
in progress to raise $150,O0O for the
home in order to prepare it for the task
of caring for the expected increase in
the number of blind men due to the war
and consequently the speeding up of in
dustry.
The luncheons are held daily in the
Hotel Adelphia to receive reports of the
canvassers Five more days OF the cam
paign remain in which $4,000 must he
raised.
Lieutenant Colonel Bordley. who is in
charge of all the Government work for
blind soldiers. probably will speak al
Fridays luncheon.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-18

PHILADELPHIA ALRMEN
ATTAIN NEW LAURELS|
Captain Biddle Takes Antagonist Captive in Clouds.
Captain Este and Lieutenant S,Uaab Out.
numbered. Defeat Aduersaries

! being the first American to make a
London to- Paris fight with Liberty
motor. was over the German lines Sun
day with three other American fiers
north Of Beney. II was the Phladel-
phian's first flight over enemy territory.
and he was drifting along" at a height
Of 1000 yards. when the seven Fokkers
dived from a cloud. At the same time
the American fight commanders en-
gine gave out and he started to drop.
Two enemy pilots realized his plight
and started for him. Captain Este had
the same realization and took the same
course. diving in pursuit Of the FOX
kers, spouting machine-gun hre upon
them.
Both machines vert down ir flames.
Captain Este then returned to the
fight above, the remaining two Ameri-
cans having been attacked by the Ave
other Germans In few moments an
other enemy plane went to earth and
the remaining four made a hasty with
drawal.
Brilliant Victory Against Odds
Lieutenant Swaab's feat was a thrill
ing one. He was one of FIVE American
planes On patrol duty when an enemy
air bar"ags split the patrol Lieutenant
Swaab was far away from his compan-
.nn avia tors and lost back of the enemy
lines when the barrage ended. He had
lost his direction. but believed he was
over the Allied lines and started to de-
scend at an airdrume.
Within 200 meters of the earth he
saw a German Fokker ascending and
discovered that he was about to make
a landing in an enemy flying field.
Quickly changing his course he started
to ascend rising in the sun, which OBJ
scured him from the vision of the Ger
man pilot rising from the field. He "cut
loose" with seventy bullets and the
Fokker went down in a heap. Thus he
made his escape from the German flying
field, but he was still lost.
Ten minutes later he encountered
eleven German planes and was attacked.
He dived quickly, then arose in the
midst of the boche squadron, both his
machine guns going full blast.
Two of the enemy planes went to
earth in flames and Lieutenant Swaab,
by brilliant operation Of his plane, got
away under the protection of heavy
cloud and subsequently made his way
back to his own lines.
Captain Este is son of the late
Charles Este. and was president of the
j. b. Este Company He was a men,
Der of the Philadelphia Racquet Club
the Philadelphia Country Club and the
Princeton Club.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-18
RED CROSS MAN
IS FIGHTER NOW
Reading Boy Throws Away
Insignia to Combat Ger.
man Treachery
WRITES OF OUTRACES
Multiply Stories by 100 and
You Have Nearer Truth,
He Declares
WRITES OF OUTRAGES

German machine gunners may wear
Fed Cross badges on their arms while-
they kill. and use the Red Cross flag to
hide machine gun nests and observation
posts, but the American boy takes off
the insignia, If he happens to have one 8
when he wants to fight.
This is proved by Sergeant Edmund
j. Gable, of Reading. who when he
came in contact with German treach-
cry on the field tore the Red Cross in
sigma from his coat sleeve and seized
pistol to join in the fighting. Writing
to friends in Reading, he says: Take
the horrible things you have heard
about these Huns and multiply them
by 100 and you have about the truth.
Mad! 1t makes you so mad that the
officers have difficulty in keeping the
boys from shooting prisoners" he
writes. II am a witness that the Ger
man machine gunners wear Red Cross
bands on their arms. For our boys shot
them as they cranked their guns and
they lie but three blocks from here.
Yesterday 7 climbed up a spiral stair
way inside of an old Norman round
tower. wall sixteen feet thick, ninety
feet high. 1t was a tangled mass Of
German telephone wires inside-an ar
tillery observation post. And on top,
in a mass of bushes, was lying a big
Red Cross flag"
Sergeant Gable sent the flag home to
his brother.
at is absolutely true that they delib-
erately bomb or shell every f1rst-aid or
hospital that they can get to. You get
so full of rage that long ago I tore off
my Red Cross band, and I now wear a
AS Colt in its place"
John f. Ward, of Allentown. Is with
the 134th Machine Gun Battalion. He
was in the marine drive. and he writes
that he aided in the capture of a group
of Germans who were carousing in a
church when they were surprised by the
Americans.
"Out of sheer blasphemous insult to
the French" he writes, "the Huns were
using the communion cups to drink
beer"
DIR. r. L. Stackpole, of Butler, who
has been with the Rainbow Division in
the thick of the fighting above the
Marne, reiterates the Indictment in di-
rect language.
Anything you read of brutality and
ravage of property and women and
girls he writes. take II from me, be-
lieve it. for it is true. l have seen it
and talked with the girls. Don't let any
one say it is all newspaper lies: It is
true. too true, and beyond ones imagina-
tion."
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-18
WOUNDED TO AID LOAN HERE
Fifteen of Pershing's Veterans to
Campaign for Bonds

Fifteen wounded veterans Of the bat
tlefelds of France will aid Philadelphia
in raising its gigantic Liberty Loan
quota of S5OO.OO00 600 during the fourth
Loan campaign, which starts Septem-
Der 2s
This is the announcement of Lewis n.
Parsons, director of the PhiladelDhia
Loan Committee. Two hundred wc1I ers;
OF the golden ~" significant of six
months service on the battlefield. will
tour the country in the interest of the
fourth loan, Mr.. Parsons says he has
learned.
Mr.. Parsons in telling of The plan 10
send fifteen of Fershing's veterans. %
have been through the hell of battN
into every nook ana corner of the city
TO tell the people wha. must be done
/ America is TO win. said Philadelphia s
irive mus; be made AN unqualified sue
cess"
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-18

Three Philadelphia aviators-Captain
Charles j. Biddle, Captain J. Dickinson
Este and Lieutenant Jacques NJ Swabb
have won new honors in aerial war;
fare over the battlefields of France. ac-
cording tc special cable dispatches from
the front today.
The feats are told of in dispatches
from the front by special correspondents
of the Evening Public Ledger.
Most thrilling of the latest tales OF
air combat is the one concerning Cap
tain Biddle, whose home is at Anda-
lusia.
After killing the observer and wound
ing the pilot of Fokker, Captain Bid
die, with his machine gun trained on
the enemy pilot. forced him guide
his plane to earth, where the Philadel-
phian took him prisoner and marched
him five miles to- the nearest American
camp.
Captain Este was one OF four Ameri-
can aviators who attacked by seven
German Fokkers, sent three of the
enemy machines crashing to earth. Cap
tain Este is credited with bringing down
two of the three Germans.
Lieutenant Swaab performed the re-
markable feat of shooting down three
German planes far back of the German
patrol.
Captain Estes home is In Haver-
ford. Lieutenant Swaab formerly lived
at Eighteenth and Berks streets. and Is
graduate of the University of Penn
sylvania.
First Prisoner Taken in Air
Captain Bddle's markable feat OF
literally taking prisoner in the All
is the first of its kind reported, and is
another crown Of glory upon the Phila'
delphian. Previously he had shot dowr
a number of German planes and once
shot down himself, lay in a shell hole
for several hours. then crawled sew
eral miles to his own lines.
Nenturing into the air alone. Captain
Biddle. at height of 5000 yards, came
in contact with boehe airman, also
alone. Captain Biddle elected to fight
and the enemy accepted the challenge.
Virtually lost in the clouds. the two
airmen met Captain Bddles first fu-
sillade shattered the German machine.
killed the observer and slightly wounded
the pilot. The pilot was still able TO
guide his machine and Captain Biddle
fying in close, trained his machine gun
upon him and indicated he was to spiral
to earth.
Like a policeman of the sky he
marched his prisoner home the cable
dispatch says.
captain Este, who is credited with
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-18
CAMP MEADE ALIENS
TO BE NATURALIZED
Soldiers of Foreign Birth Will
Receive United States Citi.
zenship Next Monday
Camp Meade. Md. Sept. Is.

Approximately 1900 soldiers of foreign
birth who were never naturalized will
swear allegiance to the Stars and Stripes
here next Monday morning and thus be
clothed with citizenship in the land of
their adoption and for which they are
willing and anxious to fight in this war
against autocracy. 1t will be the third
time naturalization court has been held
at this training camp. and the aliens in
khaki are looking forward TO the day
when they will be made citizens of the
greatest republic with much interest.
Judge Robert Moss. of the Circuit
Court of Maryland, will come to the can
tonment from Annapolis and administer
the oaths. The aliens are now filling out
their application papers, and while the
plans for the naturalization ceremonies
have not been completed, it is quite
probable that all of the men will be as
sembled in one of the big welfare huts
and will take the oath at the same time.
On a previous occasion, when Judge
Moss gave citizenship to approximately
lVVu dlltH SOlulpTS mere, quite al
pressive ceremony was arranged. After
swearing allegiance to the United States
the men rose in a body and sang the
national anthem and patriotic addresses
were delivered by Judge Moss and Gen.
eral Joseph NJ. CASTOR. the camp COM
mander. 1t is probable that both of
these men and Major General Jesse Mel.
Carter, the commander of the Lafayette
Division, will say a word to the candi-
dates on Monday.
Aliens who are selected for service
by local boards and sent to this training
camp are, under authority of a recent
act of Congress. given their citizenship
before being placed in any of the units
which are apt to be sent to France. As
large increments come in, particularly
from the big cities. the number of aliens
is continually increasing. Among these
soldiers are men of every nationality
Some Germans, Austrians and Turks
were given citizenship here a few months
ago. and are now in France with units
fighting against the lands of their birth
A majority of the aliens are Italians,
however.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-18

'r'F'''hE>NF at camp Meade.
He is a member of Company r, 149th
Field Artillery He went over with the
Rainbow Division. George r.. Sheldrake.
a former captain in the Fire Depart
ment. is his father
How long before peace will come, do
you think?'' he was asked.
Possibly a year from next Christ
mas, and then it will be six months be-
fore our armies are Withdrawn from
Germany"
Lieutenant Sheldralle says the boys
over there are confident they will so to
Berlin. any man who thinks we can't
break the Hindenburs line is crazy" he
said. and any man who thinks we
won't is twice as crazy"
Here is an example of the terrible
slaughter of the Huns" he said. An
artillery unit was ordered TO move
across a field that had been shelled by
'seventy-fves. The unit started down
the road. but it was piled so thick with
German dead. caught by the shell-fre
that the whole line was held up while
the bodies were moved to the side of
the road. The execution the Americans
are doing among the Huns is frightful
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-18
9 MEN OF CLUB FALL;
OTHERS CHEER FRIENDS
Three White Lily Members
Slain. Six Gassed. Wounded
or Missing

rb.arf,1 lattcrs adp,opiSbirr ,L,co
L,.
NV " "''' ""o"' '"e''
welfare are being received here regu-
larly from ten of the nineteen members
of the whito 1iIy ,,Iuh of this cit,.
,., ,, :,
,oo., ,. -, .,, -
''''' "'S
are out of acton.
The deaths Of three on the battlefelG
,r5 ,h., zoo. tho. ,t,r,, ,,h..rs b,,., ,,>,,,,
reported "ouhded' TWO sdSse" ana one
missing in action have prompted the
man still a A,bti,, tho ceruaps IN "cbesr
'ne ION al nome VIII" numerous OPP
timistic letters
While resting with his comrades he
"ih" ''e ''"eH a''er 'o''''ns OUT Vi 'he
frOnt-llne trenches. one member of the
club writes Of the DutChmanS last
chance"
This Ia,,ar ,b, ,,,os, ra,a,, raooi,.od
sro,,, 80 ,L ,r,,h ,,,a,,,h,,,.s ,,.,s ,,,t,
pn,, tI c.,. ht
noe C,,h
rS n,'' a"'' 'V'
f'o'''
We have just come out of terrific
battle" he wrote. The Germans started
to shell US at midnight and kept it up
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-18
TELLS OF FIRST GAS ATTACK
Canadian Soldier Thrills Lu Lu
Temple Audience

The story of the first German gas at
tack-the first in the history of war
fare-was told at Lu Lu Temple by
Private Edmund Franklin. Of the Fourth
Canadian Battalion. last night v hile
he thrilled his audience with tales of
his experiences, there rested sin his
pocket Official notification from the Brit
ish War Office. received three hours
before, that his brother he'd been killed
in action.
Franklin is one of the comparatively
few survivors of the Third Canadian Reg
iment which was holding a front line
trench before Ypres on April %. 1915,
when the Germans launched the first
gas attack in the history of warfare.
The Third and Fourth Canadian Regi-
r,ents and an Algerian regiment bore
the brunt of that attack. and but few
Of the men are living today.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-18
EQUITATION CLASS
FORMED AT CAMP DIX
Officers of Depot Brigade Put
Through Cavalry Drills
Daily

Camp Dix. iwriEhtstown, y. j.. Sept.
lS.-On orders from the War Depart
ment class in equitation has been
started for the officers in the Depot
Brigade, and every morning now the
horses are brought to the area near
brigade headquarters and the officers
are put through the regular cavalry
drill SO that they will be able to handle
their mounts with ease Lieutenant
Colonel Hayden is the instructor.
Announcement is made that the cleo
tion commissioners from Jersey will be
at the auditorium tomorrow and Friday
from 9 a. m, until p. m. for the pur-
pose of taking the primary vote of the
eligible voters of the State.
Leopold Lane. who was dramatic di-
rector in charge of programs given last
winter and spring by the old 3llth
and 312th Regiments. has returned to
Dix again and has taken charge of ar
ranging the dramatic work for the
Y. NJ. C. A.
Colonel James Watson, who aided in
training the men Of the Seventy-eghth
division here and went overseas as a
lieutenant colonel of the 3l2th Infantry,
has returned here as an instructor and
has been assigned to Camp Kearny,
Cal He was recently promoted
The plan TO have entertainments at
different times for the men from foreign
countries who are now in service Is
proving successful. and this Friday eve
ming concert will be given in the Y.
NJ. c. A. auditorium under the direction
Of the Italians. A number OF noted sing
ers will render a program in Italian.
The baseball grandstand Is now being
used by the song leaders, who have found
lit an ideal place to group the men for
instruction. Every morning some unit
may be found occupying the stand while
Song Leader simmons. with the assist
ance of the regimental bands, leads the
men in mass singing.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-18
LABOR MUST HUSTLE TO WIN
Van Der Pyl Tells Rotarians
Supreme Effort Needed in War

Only the utmost eXertion on the part
of American labor can bring victory
over Germany.
This was the assertion of Nicholas
Van Der Pyl. Department Of Labor, in
charge Of recruiting labor for war in
dustries, who last night addressed Ro-
tarians at the first dinner of the season,
held in Kuglers.
Industry. Mr.. Van Der Pyl declared
is not keeping pace with the army and
navy or the finances provided for war
work. The Government representatives
blamed this on the great labor tournovsr
and advised the Introduction Of per
sonnel department in every great war
plant. In the Ford plant where this
was done the labor turnover was re-
duCed from 4l6 per cent 10 80 per cent.
The meeting was presided over by
the recently elected president, Charles
SfinSOn
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-18
POLICEMAN'S SON CITED
Private Webster Displayed Brav.
cry Rescuing Wounded Officers

Private James J. Webster, 1445 Camac
street. has been cited for bravery. ac-
cording to official word received by his
father. Police Sergeant Charles Web
ntsr. of the Twelfth District Station,
Eighth and Jefferson streets. Private
Webster is a member of the hospital
corps. First Battalion. The citation fol-
lows;
'For assisting wounded officers while
under heavy shell fire, and later for the
gathering Of stray men lost from their
companions, He took command of these
men. and later returned in safety to the
bnttalion commander
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-18
HERO WILLS PROPERTY TO GIRL
George Margraf's Death in France
Reveals Romance

A romance and a will naming his
fiancee as a beneficiary came to light
with the announcement that EnoCh
George Margraf. formerly a teacher in
the New York Institution for Deaf and
Dumb, had been killed in action. Miss
Bertha E. Dissinger, SO North Thirty
eighth street was his tiancee, and she
WIN get one-fourth of Margrars estate,
estimated at $4,000.
Both were teachers at the New York
institute. and were engaged to be mar
ried in July, 1917. intending to be mar
x1ed in June. 1918. But they heard the
call of their country, and in February
Margraf enlisted. He went to Camp
Upton, N. Y, and two months later he
was in France.
that Miss Dissinger he treated by the
executors of the estate "as she would
have been had she been my wife"
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-18
COAL STRIKE VIRTUALLY OVER
Workers Return in Many Mines
of Mahanoy Valley
D., sLn l,.or;ntoJ Dee.
By the Associated Pr,

Pottsville, Pa. Sept. 1s.-The strike
of the miners In the Ninth District is
virtually over. Girardville, Ashland and
Mount Carmel sections are working full
handed, while a break has occurred at
Shenandoah.
Shamokin is the only section where a
majority of men are not back to work
Meetings held in the various towns or
Tuesday evening make a resumption of
work certain IN the entire Nahanoy val
ley BY Thurs4ay.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-18
FIREMEN REQUEST INCREASE
Protective Association Seeks Sal.
ary Rise Averaging $500 a Year

Salary increases totaling s195.475. or
an increase averaging 5000 a year each,
to members of the Bureau OF Fire are
asked in an ordinance proposed by the
Firemen's Protective Association and
submitted for approval 20 Director of
Public Safety Wilson today by James
n. Sinister. president Of the associa-
ton.
Joseph p. Gaffney, chairman of Coun-
ellis Finance Committee, has been re-
quested by the Protective Association to
introduce the ordinance in Councils
when that body convenes for its fall ses-
sions.
Under the proposed ordinance hose
men, laddermen, firemep. drivers and
yearly; steam engineers and tfllermen,
1850; lieutenants. $500; captains,
$500, and battalion chiefs. s2400. All
increases are to date from June 80.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-18
PROBE NEWARK'S FATAL FIRE
Eight Missing May Increase Fac.
tory Fire Deaths to l9 e,
By the United Press "'''

Newark. n. j., Sept. 1S.--Investiga-
ton into the causes Of the fire which
late yesterday destroyed the plant of the
American Button Company caused eleven
known deaths and injured many per-
ton of Mayor Charles Gillen.
The Grand Jury also may be asked
to determine responsibility for the trag-
edy. 1t is feared that the number of
deaths will be increased to nineteen, as 4
there are eight girls missing. Seven of
the bodies recovered have not been
identified The plant was destroyed.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-18
TO ASSIST SERVICE MEN
Inasmuch Girls Club Will Provide En-
tertainmennt

The lnasmuch Girls club has been
soldiers and sailors. The OrganiZa ion
consists of a score II young women of
West Philadelphia who have been assist
ing at the Inasmuch tent services,
SiXtieth and Locust streets. Most of the
members were enrolled in the girls
choir
As the tent campaign closes next Sun
day, the young women have organized
to continue their work at the Inasmuch
Mission. 1011 Locust street. where Mrs.
Edna Long will be their leader They
meet Saturday afternoons and pray for
the welfare of the men in the service.
They also plan to hold series of en-
tertainments for the enlisted men.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-18

Private John Wark, from wounds re-
ceived in the battle of the Marne, has
heen received by his parents Mr.. and
Mrs. j. Wark, 25Os South Fallon street.
in a letter sent by Chaplain Benedict,
Of the 10th Regiment.
TIE parents believed their son to BE-
alive and well, although they knew he
was with his regiment at the fighting
front.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-18
DIRECTS WAR WINDOWS"
j. A. koerber Heads Committee on Pa,
triotic Store Displays

Jerome A. koerber, display manager
OF the Strawbridge & Clothier store,
has been appointed chairman of the
local committee of the national war
service committee on window displays
the function OF which Is TO regulate the
use of window display space for patri-
otic purposes, This committee is work
ing with the Government
The other members OF the local COM
mittee are j. Tally, of wanamakers
J. Fields, of Gimbel Brothers; S. silk,
of Snellenburgs. F. Krall, OF Lit Broth
ers. and Mr.. A!let, of Bonwit. Teller 4
Co. The first practical work OF
the committee will be In cooperation
with the Liberty Loan committee on
The Frsat drive bssinains this month.