BOMBAY STREET NAMES[OLD] --[2ND] FROM-- ATTAR STREET TO

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BOMBAY STREET NAMES[OLD] --[2ND] FROM-- ATTAR STREET TO


Attar Street. (East of Parel Road, BHendi Bazaar.) 

So called from there having been shops of perfume sellers in the locality. 

The word is the Arabic itr, perfume.

From this is derived attar, a perfume. Hobson-Jobson quotes the analogous Via Latterini in Palermo, and the Atarin in Fez. 

Babula Tank Eoad. (From Jail Road East to Parel Road.) 

Babula Tank called after the babul or acacia arabica. 

(Campbell, III, 595.)

The tree in question is a thorny mimosa common in most parts of India except the Malabar Coast. (See Hobson Jobson.) The tank of this name formerly existed by this road,but a great portion of it was filled up in 1907. 
This is one of the many tree -derivations which are disputed. Mr. Karkaria maintains that the tank is called after a man named Babula who lived in the vicinity. (See also Babulnath.) 

Babulnath Koad. (From Chaupati to Chaupati Road.) 

Constructed by the P. W. D. for the City Improvement Trust and handed over to the Municipality on the 30th June 1901. Named after the Hindu Temple of Shiva called Babulnath which is on a hill close by. Mr. R. P. Karkaria states that " babul " 
in this connexion has nothing to do with the acacia arabica tree, but the temple is called Babulnath after * Babul ' the Hindu carpenter who first consecrated the ' ling ' of Shiva here. Babul nath is like many other names of deities in Bombay 

and else where eponymous of its consecrator Babul. This information about title name of the carpenter Babul was confirmed by way of inquiries on the spot from temple people. It is also, to be found in K. Raghunathji's " Hindu Temples of Bombay," 
No. 89, p. 38. 
Rao Bahadur P. B. Joshi states that the temple was named Babulnath because the

expenses of the consecration of the ling of Shiva were borne by a Somavanshi Kshatriya named Babalji Hirji Nath. It means God, and therefore the temple deity was 
called Babul Nath, or the god of Babul, by the Yajurvedi Brah
mans who consecrated it. 

Bakehouse Lane. (From Forbes Street to Rampart Row.) 
Named after a Government Bakery that existed here. 

Bala Mia's Gullee. {From Lady Jamsetji Road to Mogal Gully.) 


























































































OLD STREET NAME IN MUMBAI

NEW STREET NAME


Apollo Pier Road

Chhatrapati Shivaji Marg


Aurther Road

Sane Guruji Marg


Apollo Street

Bombay Samachar Marg


Andheri Versova Road

Jaiprakash Marg


Azad Road

Veer M Manekar Marg


Andheri Kurla Road

Sir Mathuradas V Marg


Argyle (Part)

Sant Tukaram Marg


Bhatia Baug (V T)

Nagar Chowk


Ballard Road

Shoorjee Vallabhdas Marg


Bastian Road

Amrit Keshav Naik Marg


Bazar Gate Street

Perin Nariman Street


Bellasis Road

Jehangir Behram Road


Bombay Agra Road

Lal Bhadur Shastri Marg


Bruce Street

Homi Modi Street


Carnac Road

Lokmanya Tilak Marg


Cadell Road

Veer Savarkar Marg


Cruickshank Road

Mahapalika Marg


Carnegy Road

Nathibai Thackersey Road


Central Avenue Marg

Swami Dayanand Marg


Charni Road

Rammohan Roy Marg


Chakala Street

Sherif Devji Street


Churchgate Street

Veer Nariman Marg


Clark Road

Keshavrao Khadye Marg


Duncan Road

Maulana Azad Marg


Dougal Road

Narottam Morarji Marg


Delisle Roa

N M Joshi Marg


Dadar M Road (North)

Dadasaheb Falke Marg


Dhobi Talao

K Vasudeo B Fadke Choke


Dugall Road

Narottam Morarji Marg


Eliphistone Circle

Mahatma Gandhi Marg


Explanade Road

P D Mello Marg


Frere Road (Part)

Ganpatrao Kadam Marg


Fergusson Road

General Bhonsle Marg


Foreshore Road

Shahid Bhagat Singh Marg


Flora Fountain

Hutatma Chowk


Forbes Street

Dr V B Gandhi Marg


Foras Road

R S Nimbkar Marg


Fort Street

Walchand Hirachand Road


Girgaum Road

J Shankarseth Road


Ghodbunder Road

S Vivekanand Marg


Grant Road

M Shuakat Ali Road


Graham Road

J N Herdia Marg


Gowalia Tank Road

August Kranti Marg


Ghatkopar Mohul Road

R Chembulkar Marg


Homby Road

Dr Dadabhai Nawrojee Marg


Horby Road

Lala Lajpat Rai Marg


Huges Road

Nayaymurti L Patkar Marg


Harvey Road

Pandit Ramabai Marg


Haji Ali Chowk

Vatsala Bai Desai Chowk


Home Street

Charanjit Rai Marg


Hanes Street

Dr E Moses Marg


Harkness Street

Jamnadas Mehta Road


Jacob Circle

Gadge Maharaj Chowk


Juhu Lane

C D Barfiwala Marg


Kings Circle

Maheshwari Udyan


Lamington Road

Dr A Nair Road


Lohar Street

K M Sharma Road


Lohar Street

N C Kelkar Marg


Lady Jamshedji Road

Vithalbai Patel Marg


Linking Road

N Subhash Bose Marg


Marine Lines Street

Sir Dinshaw Mulla Marg


Medows Street

Nagindas Master Marg


Mayo Road

Bhaurao Patil Marg


Masjid Bunder Road

Yusuf Meherali Marg


Military Road

Jawaharlal Nehru Marg


Marine Drive

Netaji Subhash Marg


New Queens Road

Mama Permanand Marg


Napeansea Road

Jagmohandas Marg


Parsee Bazar Street

Syed Abdullah Brelvi Marg


Parel Groves Gate Road

Samaldas Gandhi Marg


Portuguese Road

Raosaheb S K Bole Marg


Peddar Road

Dr Deshmukh Road


Pali Danda Marg

Ambedkar Marg


Queens Road

Maharshi Karve Marg


Ridge Road

Bal Gangadhar Kher Marg


Rampat Road

Khushroo Dubash Marg


Sandhurst Road

S V Patel Marg


Sion Circle

M Laxmibai Chowk


Tardeo Road

Jawjee Dadaji Marg


Tulsi Pipe Road

Senapati Bapat Marg


Thakurdwar Road

Dr Jaykar Marg


Victoria Road

Sant Savtamali Road


Victoria Gardens

Jijamata Bhonsle Udyan


Warden Road

Bulabai Desai Road


Worli Road

Vir Savarkar Marg


Wittet Road & Fort Street

Walchand Hirachand Marg


Waudby Road

Hajarimal Somani Marg



Balaram Street. (From the junction of Falkland and Foras Roads to Grant Road.) 

Named after Rao Bahadur Ellappa Balaram (died 1914) whose residence was on this road. He was born in 1850 at Colaba, where his father had come to stay some ten years before. His grand father and his father were known to the British army at Poona, 
Bombay, Deesa and Karachi as suppliers of milk on a large scale. After his father's death Mr. Ellappa tried for some time to continue his ancestors' business ; but, after being initiated in the work of building contractors by Shet Nagu Sayaji, one of the well known contractors in the Telugu Community, he found that the business of milk supplying was not so lucrative. He therefore concentrated his whole energy on contractor's work and in the Bhandarwada reservoir work and fortification works at Colaba and Mahaluxmi his capacity came into evidence and he succeeded in establishing his reputation as a first class building contractor. (Times of India, September 1914.) 

Ballard Pier and Road. (From Mint Road and Frere Road Junction to a new road along seashore eastwards.) 

Called after General J. A. Ballard, R.E., who was the first Chairman of the Bombay Port Trust, holding the post from June 1873 to May 1876. General John Alex Ballard (1830-80) was in the old Bombay engineers. He saw service in the Crimean war
and was at the siege of Sebastopol. He was also under Omar Pasha commanding a Turkish Brigade. He also served in the Indian Mutiny. He became Mint Master, Bombay, 

in 1861, and when the Port Trust was constituted in 1873, became         BALLARD ESTATE MUMBAI

its President. He died on 2nd April 1880 near the battlefield of Thermopylae. He was the son of a Calcutta merchant (c/. Buckland Diet. Indian Biog., p. 24). Also a longer notice by Sir A. J. Arbuthnot in Diet. Nat. Biog. (2nd edition). Vol. 
I., pp. 1005-6. Kinglake refers to Ballard's gallantry (Crimean War, Vol. I). There is a brass floor slab to his memory in the centre aisle of St. Thomas' Cathedral. 

The name Ballard is said to be derived from ball, a white streak, a word of Celtic origin. It was used, according to Wyclif, by the little boys who unwisely called to an irritable prophet " stey up ballard " or as the Authorised Version says 
" Go up, thou bald head." (2 Kings II. 23. quoted in Weekley's " The Romance of Names.") 

Bamanjee Street. {From Bora Bazaar Street to Raghunath Dadaji and Gunhow Streets.)

Formerly known as Nanabhoy Bomanji Street, this very old lane is named after Nanabhoy Bomonji Seth, a noted landlord among Parsis in the latter half of the eighteenth century. He belonged to the well-known Seth family of the Parsis, and Now- 
roji Hill, Mazagaon, was named after his uncle Nowrosji Rustomji Seth (1662-1732). The dates of Nanabhoy Bomonji are not known, but his signature occurs on various documents from 1748 — when he must have been at least 20 — to 1799. His 
younger brother, Muncherji Bomonji Seth, died 8th August, 1799, aged 87. 

BanAM (or Benham) Hall Lane. {From Girgaum Road to Girgaum Back Road.) 

There was originally in this oart, which consisted of cocoanut and plantain trees, a single garden-house named Wan or Ban Mahal, meaning " the house in the wood " — ban or wan (wood) and mahal (house). Hence the lane came to be called Ban Mahal Lane. Mr. Acworth, Municipal Commissioner, 1890-95, receiving letters addressed from this lane, while on leave at home Adhere he resided in a house called " Benham " at Malvern, suggested its change of name from " Ban Mahal " house to " Benham Hall Lane " from his Malvern residence and that was adopted. (Facts supplied by rao Bahadur P. B. Joshi who lives in this lane.) 

Banganga Road. (From Walkeshwar Road round the Tank.) * 

Named after the tank bearing this name which is so called because the god Ram feeling thirsty is said to hava caused water to spring here by striking an arrow into the ground. Ban, arrow, Ganga, sacred water, (c/. for the legend about the Tank 
and Temple K. Raghunathji's " Hindu Temples," M. 26, p. 3, 
4, etc.) 

Banian Road, (From Kika Street to Parel Road.) 

From Bania or Vania, a Hindu trading caste

who have houses there. (For the caste of Vanias, vide Bombay Gazetteer, Vol. IX, Part I. Hindus of Gujarat, pp. 69-81, etc.) 

Bank Street. (Elphinstone Circle to Custom House Road.) 

Named after the Bank of Bombay

premises situated in this road. " In 1862, when the Elphinstone Circle scheme was brought forward the Bank took up land there and commenced the erection of the present building, which was completed, and to which the Bank was removed in 1866." (Bombay City Gazetteer, III p. 220.). 

Bapty Road. {From Grant Road to Parel Road.) 

Named after Mr. James Bapty, the former owner of a flour mill situated at the corner of the road at its junction with Falkland Road. Bapty owned a bakery which was formerly well known in Bombay for its bread and especially pastry. " Bapty's 
Cakes " were long famous. Pearse succeeded to his business. 

Bapu Hajam Street. {West of Parel Road, Bhendi Bazaar, near Pydhonie.) 

So named after the house of Bapu Hajam, a Konkani Mussulman, who was a prominent

member of the Hajam, or barber, trade, and also practised circumcision among his 

people. 
Hajam (Arabic) a barber : they act as surgeons also, and theirwomen as midwives and nurses. They are Sunnis.

BAPU Khote Street. (Kalbadevi Road to Ersakine Road.) 

 According to one informant it is named after a Mahomedan, Bapu Khote, who was a 

famous barber and a Hakim. Another explanation is that it is named after a Konkani Mahomedan Khote, landowner, called Bapu, to whom this land once belonged. Bapu, 

originally a Hindu name, has been adopted by Konkani Mahomedans. This street is 

locally known as Jambuli Mohola, i.e., Jambul colour street, because it is occu- 
pied by Mahomedan dyers and this jambul, or violet,

colour is conspicuous there among the dyed clothes exposed to dry. 

Barber Lane. (From Cawasji Patel Street to PitJia Street.) 

Mr. R. P. Karkaria in The Bombay Gazette, lib. October, 1907, expressed the view 

that this lane was so called, because barber had houses in the locality, just as 

Gola Lane is called after Golas  who resided there. 
It was proposed in 1907 to change the name to Barbican Lane, but the proposal was not adopted. In 1915, another change was proposed and the subsequent discussion in the Municipality and the Press was carried on with no small display of acerbity. To begin with the Municipal Commissioner (Mr. P.R. Cadell, CLE.) wrote : ' I have the honour to state that certain persons living near Barber Lane in the Fort, have asked that that name should be altered. Although it is possible that the lane was originally named after a Police Officer, named Barber, and was not so called

because of its use by persons working as barbers, the latter origin is by a 

natural process generally associated with the name. The lane itself has been 

greatly widened and improved by Municipal action, and although it is not generally desirable to change a name simply because some people are dissatisfied with it, 

yet in this case, as the highly respectable people who live in the houses abutting on the lane wish for a name more in consistence with its improved condition, I 

think that their wish may be gratified. I have the honour to propose therefore with the sanction of the * Corporation that it be called " Bakhtawar " Street. 

The word 1s Persian and Gujerati means fortunate and may be taken to convey the good fortune of the street in having such respectable people living near it and in 

having been brought so prominrntly to the notice of the Corporation." Mr. V. A. 

Dabholkar suggest6d the lane might be named Sukhia Street — after Dr. Sukhia, a 

member of the Corporation. Sir Jamsetji Jejeebhoy advocated changing " Barber " into " Barbour " ; and Sir Dinshah Wacha,who deprecated changing historical names, 

said members had humorously suggested different names ; but he did not know if the Corporation would relish his humour if he suggested that the street be called " 

Bhadbhad Street," in consideration of the fact that so many loquacious persons 

lived there. No alteration was as a fact made. 

From among many letters which subsequently appeared in The Times of India, two may be selected. Mr. R. D. Cooper wrote from 12th Lane, Khetwadi, that Barber Lane 

was really known as Hajam Mohola, being a rendezvous of barbers (Arabic,hajam). " I think," he said, the " Policeman Barber " is a mythical personage invented for

the purpose of the debate.The probability is that it derives its source from '

Barbary ' as some of the Barbary pirates had their dens in the street. They were rich with their ill-gotten gains and some of them must have purchased some properties. Mr. H. Sibbald (aged 70) writing from Santa Cruz, turned the policeman into a doctor. 
He wrote : — " I joined the Customs in 1864. In those days it was an eyesore to 

see a steamer in harbour. Once a month the  boats came with mails, otherwise 200 

to 300 sailing ships were in harbour. In those days there were two doctors for the
shipping named Bolt and Reynolds, the former lived in the lane and the latter at 

Colaba. About '66 Bolt left for England, and Barber took his house and place, Reynolds also went about that time, and Dr. McGregor took his place. In those days 

doctors engaged to a ship got Rs. 100  a tidy sum — and filled their 
pockets soon and left. I think the street name must have been given about that 

time by the Municipality, I am not certain, but this much I know that respectable people lived in that quarter and Dr. Barber was one of them." Mr. Karkaria 
remarks upon this theory : — " This doctor of 1866 could not possibly have given 

his name to the lane, for the name Barber Lane is at least a generation older. I

have come across it in the files of The Bombay Gazette for 1839." 

Bardan Street. {From DeSouza Street to Kazi Sayad Street.) 





Named after the Gujarati word Bardan, meaning gunny bags,which are sold on this 

road. Formerly it was called Essaji haniji Street (c/. Note on Samuel Road). 

Baroda Street. (From Carnac Siding Road to Frere Road.) 
Named after the city of Baroda. 

Barrack Street. {From Bazaar Gate Street to Mint Road.)


 



Named after military Barracks situated there. They were formerly known as the King's Barracks (the king being George III), because the Royal Troops, as 

distinguished from the East India Company's, occupied them. Even now elderly 

Indians call this Kin Burakh Gully, King Barrack Lane. 

Barrow Road. {From Colaba Causeway to Merewether Road.) 

This road was constructed by the Bombay Port Trust and handed over to the 

Municipality in 1897. It is named after Mr. H. W. Barrow, for some time head reporter of The Times of India, and subsequently from 1870 to 1898, Municipal Secretary

Bastion Road. {From Murzban Road to Theatre Road : 

constructed by the City Improvement Trust, and handed over to 
the Municipality on 18th August, 1904.)


 



Several roads in the locality, are named after the old fortifications,

e.g., Ravelin Street. There were 8 Bastions, called respectively : — Prince's, Royal, Old Mandvi, Marlborough,Stanhope, Church, Moors and Banian. (Bombay Gazetteer

Materials Vol. 26, part 2, p. 286, etc.). 

Battery Street. {From Apollo Pier to Lansdowne Road.) 

Named after the Saluting Battery which was situated on this road until it was 

transferred to Middle Ground.


 

Bawankhani Lane. {A blind lane from Chaupati Road.) 





There may be an allusion to the residence of women of bad repute : bhairon in Marathi meaning women, usually prostitutes, devoted to service in a temple. 

Bavankhandi literally means a large chawl of bavan, fifty-two, Idians or rooms.

There is a similar and well-lmown place of the same name in Poona City, 
after which this lane is most probably called. 

Bazaar Gate Street. (From Bori Bunder to Elphinstone Circle.) 





Named after one of the three Fort gates. It was situated at thE north end of the street, leading into the old Fort. This Gate had two smaller gates also, hence it was known to the natives as Tin Durwaza, or Three Gates. The gate was pulled down in 1862. 

Bazaar Gullee. (From Mahim Bazaar Road to Maliim Bazaar Cross Road.) 





Named because of a general market close by. 

Beach Road. (From Colaha Road westward.) 
It runs close to the foreshore. 

1826 VIEW OF COLABA 

Beef Lane. (From Parsi Bazaar Street Westward.) 


Sir Dinshah Wacha writes : "It was so called because beef was sold here for the town barracks soldiery. I am not sure whether the kine were also slaughtered here. This lane is just opposite the Military Stores Lane, adjoining Graham's ofiice to 

the north.


 
                        VIEW FROM ESPLANADE TO COLABA IN DISTANCE 1850

At the east end of Military Stores Lane, you will notice the back part of 

the married men's barracks, and a little beyond are the old Town Barracks and it 

Is to be presumed that the military folk kept all military requirements near each other within easy distance. So the other military stores were all stored in that 
lane. The beef had to be supplied apart and could not be al- 
lowed to be in the same place as the other stores. The old Commissariat was also in Parsi Bazaar Street." 

Bell Lane. (From Esplanade Road to Medows Street.) 

So named after Messrs. Bell &AND ; Co., who had offices there. 



Bellasis Road. (From Parel Road to Bellasis Bridge inclusive.) 



An inscription on the Bridge reads as follows : — '' A.D. 1863. 
This Bellasis Road was made in 1793 A.D. by the poor driven 
from the City of Surat in that year of famine, out of funds raised 



BOMBAY PLACE-NAMES. 31 

by public subscription, and takes its name from Ma3or-G«n«ra| 
Bellasis under whose order it was constructed." 

".,]3ellasis Road, tbe great drive towards Scandal-point at 
'^le'dch. Candy, is in the recollection of many now living a small 
straggling, uneven, jolting pathway, got up by General Bellasis 
^ of the Artillery, to suit his convenience, as he lived in the proxi- 
mity of the famed Maha-Laxmi ; and from thence he was to be 
seen jogging in his native ghari drawn by a couple of oxen." 
(The MonthUj Miscellany of Western India, May, 1850.) There 
is a mural monument to Major-General John Bellasis and his 
wife in St. Thomas's Cathedral. On it he is described as com- 
manding officer of the forces and Colonel of the Regiment of 
Artillery on the Bombay establishment. Died, February 11, 
1808, aged 64. General orders by Government, Bombay Castle, 
16th Feb., 1808 : " It is with sincere concern that Government 
announce to th« Army the death of that very respectable oflB.cer, 
Major General John Bellasis, late Commanding Officer of the 
Forces, who departed this life, on Thursday, the 11th instant, 
suddenly, whilst he was in the meritorious discharge of his 
duties, presiding at the Military Board, thereby terminating a 
long course of zealous and faithful services." According to Mr. 
E. Weekley (" The Romance of Names," p. 142), Bellasis is a 
Norman name from bel assis — fairly situated. But the same 
writer in " Surnames " (p. 318) says there is a font-name Belle- 
Assez which is not uncommon in Middle English and would 
give the same result. A friend informs me that the motto of 
the family is Bel Assez, fair enough, and this is certainly a more 
complimentary derivation than bel-assis which might be inter- 
preted " well seated." 

Belvedere Road. {From Dockyard Road to Wari Bunder Road.) 

^ This must be called after a once famous bungalow on Bhan- 
darwada hill. It was from that house that Sterne's Eliza 
(Mrs. Draper) eloped with a naval ofiicer. 

Bhai Jiwanji's Lane. (A blind lane from Girgaum Road.) 

Named after the owner of the oart, Mr. Bhai Jiwanji, who was 
Managing Clerk of Messrs. Crawford, Solicitors. He was a great 
book collector and had a valuable library which was dispersed 
after his death in 1906. He was well-to-do and possessed several 
properties in Bombay. 



32 BOMBAY PLACE-NAMES. 

Bhajipala Street. {From Abdul Rehman Street to Memon- 
^. wada Road.) 

Bhajipala, or vegetables, are sold here. 

Bhandari Street. {From Falkland Road to Bhandarwaha 
Street.) 

This street, as well as BnANDARWADA,is called after the Bhan- 
daris, or toddy -drawers, that resided there. Some of them pos- 
sessed houses and were reckoned among the old residents. 
Others came to Bombay from Malvan, Vingurla and other 
places, and settled in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. 

" The Bhandaris whose name is derived by some from the 
Sanskrit mandharak (a distiller) and by others from bhandar (a 
treasury) constitute one of the oldest communities in Bombay 
Island and are sub-divided into five classes — Sinde, Gaud, More. 
Kirpal, and Kitte or Kitre — which neither dine together nor 
intermarry." (Bombay City Gazetteer, I. 231.) 

Bhandup Street. {From Musjid Siding Road to Coorla Street ; 
Constructed hy the Bombay Poit Trust, and handed over to 
the Municipality on 30th June, 1883.) 

Named after the village of Bhandup situated on the G. I. P. 
Railway in the Thana District. 

Bhangwadi or 2nd Kolbhat. {A blind lane from Kalbadevi 
Road). 

" In this oart," says Rao Bahadur P. B. Joshi, " there were 
formerly afforded good facilities for persons who were accus- 
tomed to drinking Bhang. Several shops were opened by Guja- 
rati Brahmans for the preparation and sale of this drink. Vari- 
ous kinds of Bhang were prepared, such as Bhang mixed with' 
milk and sugar, and Bhang mixed with pounded almonds, 
cardamoms, saffron, and other spices. The prices ranged from 
half an anna to two annas per tola, or a bowlful. On Hindu 
holidays and fast days such as the Mahashivaratra, Mondays of 
the month of Shravan, etc., there was a great demand for this 
Bhang by the devotees of Shiva. It is believed to be sacred to 
Shiva and therefore people partook of it on days sacred to that 
god. It was also poured by way of Abhishek (holy sprinkling) 
on the ling of Shiva." 



BOMBAY PLACE-NAMES. 33 

Bhang is the dried leaves and small stalks of hemp (i.e., 
Cannabis indica). The word is usually derived from Sanskrit,^ 
bhanga,, breaking, but Sir Richard Burton derives both it and the 
Arab Banj from the old Coptic Nibanj " meaning a preparation 
ot* hemp ; and there it is easy to recognise the Homeric Nepen- 
the." (Hobson-Jobson.) 

Bhasker Lane. {A blind lane from Cathedral Street.) 

Named after the father of Mr. Anandrao Bhasker, who was a 
Judge of the Small Cause Court, and who owned a large property 
here. Bhasker ji was a Prabhu by caste, and most of the houses 
around this locality and Bhuleshwar were owned by the Parbhus 
and the Yajurvedi Joshis till the middle of the nineteenth 
century. 

Bhaskar Bhau Lane. (Near Gamdevi.) 

This lane is called after Bhasker Bhau Mantri who possessed 
several houses in Gamdevi and other parts of Bombay. He 
belonged to the Somavanshi Pathare Community, and was a 
well known contractor in Bombay. 

Bhattia Bagh. (South of Victoria Terminus.) 

Sir Dinshah E. Wacha, otherwise " Sandy Seventy " in The 
Bombay Chronicle (April 9, 1915) says : — '"It was not till 1861, 
generally after 1864, that Malabar Hill began to be well popula- 
ted. The remaining population in the Fort, specially the north, 
was occupied by Parsi merchants and traders, the Kapole 
Banias, men of the rank and wealth of Mangaldas Nathoobhoy 
and Vurjivandas Madhowdas lived here and there in central 
town houses which still stand. Next were the wealthy Bhattias, 
who resided in Bazaar Gate Street and in Old Mody Street, lying 
parallel to the east, in the direction of Mody Bay. Goculdas 
Tejpal, Goculdas Liladhar Pasta, Khatao Makanji, Jivraj Baloo, 
Jairam Sewji and such occupied the Bazar Gate Street from the 
north end as far as the Parsi Agiary Street, south. In Holee 
Chukla also the population was Bhattia. This extended as far 
as Parsi Bazaar Street, near the end of Gola Lane. Generically 
it was known as ' Bhattia Wad.' The ' Bhattia Bag ' in Fort 
Street, now under renovation, was so called, because all along 
jts south side the Bhattia population greatly preponderated, when 
^he 'bag' so called was first built in the latter part of the sixties." 



34 BOMBAY PLACE-NAMES. 

( ( 

When the Municipality undertook to lay out the Bagh, 
*" which had grown untidy and unsightly, in an orderly fashion 
various suggestions were made for its re -naming and j:\ May, 
1917, it received the official designation Victoria S(^U4re. 
"The name," said The Times of India, " k obvious enough 
when one remembers that the Victoria Terminus is one of t^e 
boundaries of the area thus rechristened, but "square "<- is 
geometrically indefensible. " Place," which was originally 
suggested, would have done well if only we could acquire the 
habit of using it in the French sense which somehow does not 
fit in with the English pronunciation of the word. The 
Corporation cannot in any case be accused of coming to a 
decision without due consideration of the various names sug- 
gested. They have deliberately swept away the name of a 
quarter which is smaller in size than in historic interest, and, 
as our Calcutta correspondent pointed out in a letter which 
we published yesterday, it often happens that the name of a 
quarter or district is not attached to any street and is thus in 
danger of being obliterated. For many reasons that is to be 
regretted." 



Bhatwadi. (From Girgaum Road to Girgaum Bach Road.) 

There were formerly three Bhatwadis in Bombay. One of 
these has been now acquired by the City Improvement Trust 
(in 1911), and a new street is opened there. These three Bhat- 
wadis at one time formed one oart which was the property of one 
Bhat Vasudev Sankhedkar, a priest of the Somavanshi Pathares. 
It contained cocoanut, plantain, and guava trees. It was subse- 
quently divided into three parts after it had passed into different 
hands. Till the year 1884, the 2nd Bhatwadi was known as 
Ganesh Ramji's Wadi owing to the fact that most of the houses'^ 
there were owned by Ganesh Ramji, head surveyor to the Col- 
lector of Bombay. 

Bhantaz Gully. (Fro^n Portuguese Church, Chiniwadi.) 

Bhavnagar Street. (Behind Memonwada Street.) 

So called because the inhabitants are Memons from Bhavnagar 
in Kathiawar. The Memons in Bombay mostly come from 



BOMBAY PLACE-NAMES. 35 

> 3 

Cutch, Halar, Dholka in Ahmedabad Collectorate, Bhavnagar, 
Bhuj and Verawal in Kathiawad, and are accordingly called'^ 
CutCc]i3, Halai, Dholka, etc., Memons. (c/. Bhujvari Street), 

BjiENDY Bazaar. (See under Parel Road.) 

3HIMPARA Street. (In Mandvi Koliwada.) 

> 

Named after a Koli called Bhim, who was formerly headman 
of the Kolis there. The name Bhim originally belonged to a god 
of the Hindu Pantheon, who corresponds to the classical Hercules. 

In the guise of Bhim Raja, Bhimdev, or Raja Bimb it ap- 
pears as the name of the chief who ruled over Mahim in Bombay 
and Salsette subsequent to the epoch of Silahara rule (vide 
Bombay City Gazetteer.) 

Bhisti Street. (East of Bhendi Bazaar.) 

So called because Bhisti Mussulmans are the chief inhabitants. 
Bhistis are water carriers. The word is commonly derived from 
the Persian bihishti, a person of hihisht or paradise, but the 
compilers of Hobson-Jobson fail to trace its history. Dr. 
Jivanji Jamsetji Modi questions that derivation and thinks it 
comes from the Gujarati word for " to wet." 

Bhoget Gully. (From Gopi Tank Gully No. 2 to Sorab Mill 
Gully.) 

Owes its name to the fact that a well-known Bhagat or Deval 
rashi (exorcist) once resided in its vicinity. 

1st Bhoiwada Lane. (From Kika Street to Bhuleshwar Street.) 

Named after Bhois (palanqum bearers) who inhabited the 
place. " Boy, a palanquin-bearer. From the name of the 
caste, Tel. and Mai. boyi. Tam. bovi.'' (Hobson-Jobson.) 

The whole land of the First, Second and Third Bhoiwada is a 
Fazandari tenure. The original Fazandars of all these three 
Bhoiwadas were Balambhat Javle and other descendants of 
Gamba Naik Javle, and that Naik who were granted by Gover- 
nors Sir John Childe (1687 A.D.) and Richard Bourchier (1755 
A.D.) patents of rights as the chief hereditary priests and phy- 
sicians of Bombay. At present the Fazandars of the first and of 
the half of the 2nd Bhoiwada are the descendants of the said 



36 BOMBAY 'place-names. 

(( ■' 

Gamba Naik and Vitlial Naik Javle. The Fazandari rights 
^M)f half of the 2nd Bhoiwada, including the Bhuleshwar 
Market, and of the whole of the 3rd Bhoiwada are vested in 
Mr. Vinayakrao Sadanand Joshi, the present owner of ?ada- 
nand Joshi's oart and properties in Bombay. 

Bhujvari Street. (Memonwada.) 

The inhabitants are Memons from Bhuj in Cutch (cf. Bhav- 
nagar Street). 

Bhuleshwar Street. (From Kalbadevi Road to Girgaum.) 

" So called from the great temple and tank of Bhuleshwar." 
(Bombay City Gazetteer.) 

"Bholesvar is one of the epithets of Siva, Bhola meaning 
* simple ' hence he is called the Lord of the Simple. Others say 
that it was built by a rich Koli by name Bhola, who, having no 
progeny nor relatives of his own, spent his large fortune in the 
building of this temple, which bears his name. Another tradi- 
tion connects the temple with a Pardesi by name Bholanath, 
who built it whence the gcd is called by his name. Others say 
that the Pardesi was a mere porter of the temple." (Da 
Cunha, p. 61.) 

Rao Bahadur P.B. Joshi writes : — " The statement that Bho- 
leshwar is one of the epithets of Shiva is not accurate, because 
grammatically it would be wrong to form the compound Bho- 
leshwar from Bhola and Ishwar. Such compound would be 
considered a hybrid combination. The real origin of the name 
Bhuleshwar is from the name of the individual who built the 
temple and gave money for the consecration ceremony. Origi- 
nally the temple was built by a local Koli, or fisherman, who was . 
wealthy but had no progeny. His name was Bhula, or Bhulya, 
and so the God was called Bhuleshwar by the officiating priests 
who were the hereditary Yajurvedic Brahmans of Bombay. 
In Bombay, several other temples are similarly named after 
the person who built them." 

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 Bombay place-names and street-namesOn openlibrary.org

CLICK AND READ ON LINE:-http://archive.org/stream/bombayplacenames00sheprich#page/n3/mode/2uphttp://archive.org/stream/bombayplacenames00sheprich#page/n3/mode/2up

The Dapoorie Viaduct on the original line in 1855 -~1853 – The first passenger train of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway left Bori Bunder station in Bombay for Tannah. The train took 57 minutes to reach Tannah, covering a distance of a distance of 21 miles (33.8 km). 3 locomotives named Sultan, Sindh and Sahib pulled the 14 carriages with 400 passengers on board.

Dapoorie viaduct bombay1855

The Bombay Explosion-1944 – The freighter SS Fort Stikine, carrying a mixed load of cargo (including over 1,400 tons of explosive) caught fire and was destroyed in 2 giant blasts. The explosions scattered debris, sank the surrounding ships and killed 740 people while injuring a further 1,800.

The SS Fort Stikine, a 7,142 gross ton freighter sailed from Birkenhead, England on February 24 via Gibraltar and reached Karachi on March 30 where she unloaded some of her cargo which consisted of but not limited to  crated spitfires, munitions, scrap iron, gold bars  and around 1,400 tons of explosive. To fill up the empty hold sulphur, cotton bales, timber, lubricating oil drums, turpentine, fish manure, rice and resin etc were also loaded at Karachi flouting all the norms. The ship arrived at Bombay on April 12 but the unloading started on April 14 only.
The SS Fort Stikine underway in 1943



Exact cause of fire is not known and the incidence was then suppressed and not much publicity was given due to ongoing World War-II. Many persons at time had thought that Japan has attacked Bombay like the pearl Harbour.
The aftermath of the explolsions

Debris were thrown about 2000 feet (600 metres) high and fell on several civilian populations causing death and injuries to several hundred. The blast also sent a shower of gold ingots over Bombay. The gold bricks also injured several persons. Some bricks fell into the sea and other areas. To the surprise of many gold bricks crashed through roofs and fell in their homes.

A huge tidal wave swept across the dock and ripped ships from their moorings, one ship finished atop a warehouse.

British India Steam Navigation Company Ltd.

EXPLOSION IN BOMBAY

Memorial

Time: 1615, Date: 14th April 1944
Place: Victoria Dock, Bombay, India.



Fort Stikine

Background

Captain Brinley Thomas Oberst a British Army Officer attached to the Indian Army Ordinance Corps had returned home to his apartment at Colaba for lunch. As he was finishing his lunch the telephone rang informing him that there was a fire aboard a ship berthed in the Victoria Dock. Captain Oberst enquired as to the name of the vessel, the reply 'I don't know' did nothing to calm his nerves for lying in that dock were four ships loaded with explosives not least 'Fort Stikine' whose cargo contained a great deal. It was just after 1400 hours when the Captain made his way down to the docks where his men were onboard 'Fort Stikine' supervising the discharge of her highly dangerous cargo, on arriving at the docks Captain Oberst had his worst fears confirmed when he was informed that it was 'Fort Stikine' that was on fire. Fort Stikine was lying at Number One berth and was one of fourteen ships being worked that day, next door in Prince's Dock were a further ten ships including one in dry dock. Both the docks were situated behind lock gates and a further two ships were tied up alongside the wall.



Map One Before Explosion

On boarding the ship Captain Oberst observed very little evidence of a fire, in fact there were just a few men stood around Number Two hatch playing a couple of hoses down into the hold, the hold was situated directly forward of the Bridge. Captain Oberst then encountered Mr Harris the ship's Second Officer who was helping the firemen drag the hoses across the deck. After Oberst introduced himself both Officers made for Harris's cabin where the stowage plans were laid out. After a brief discussion which revolved around the positioning of the explosives in relationship to the seat of the fire Oberst declared that unless the fire was quickly extinguished the whole of the dock was under threat.

Fort Stikine had been completed in the July of 1942 by the Prince Rupert Drydock & Shipyard at Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada. She weighed 7, 142 tons gross and had been handed over to the United States Shipping Admin/Maritime Commission who in turn bareboat chartered her to the British Government, His Majesty's Government then appointed Port Line as managers. She was classed at Lloyds Register as + 100A1 which had long been accepted as an all round standard of excellence. Captain Naismith was in command, it was his first position as Captain and he had been with her since arriving on that fateful day in Bombay. Under his command she had made four complete round trips and had been loaded for her fifth trip, this time to Karachi and Bombay with the following cargo. Deep in the holds were 1, 395 tons of explosives including shells, torpedoes, mine signal rockets, magnesium flares and incendiary bombs, and these were for discharge at Bombay. Above these lay twelve crated Spitfires and more explosives for discharge at Karachi and finally gliders were stacked on the upper decks. More specifically in the tween decks of Number Two hold 238 tons of highly sensitive Category A explosives had been stacked on three sides, on the fourth side a steel container measured 5ft x 4ft x 4ft had been lashed. Within the container were thirty one wooden crates, each crate contained four gold ingots measuring 15" x 3" x 1.5", each bar weighed two stone and was a part instalment to a bank in Bombay which was to be used to cancel out the adverse effect that the British War economy was having on the exchange rates in India. The estimated value of the gold varied from a low of £1, 000, 000 to a high of £2, 000, 000 depending on source of information either way it was a considerable amount in 1944. Mr. Harris the Second Officer had signed for the bullion in Birkenhead and as an extra precaution had arranged for the locked container lid to be welded closed, the lads having already disposed of this cargo in their minds on the voyage out to India.

Fort Stikine sailed from Birkenhead on the 24th of February and soon formed up into a twenty ship convoy; on her voyage north the convoy was joined by further vessels which had sailed from Belfast and Glasgow. Finally the convoy had grown to fifty ships excluding her escorts, this included two Merchant Aircraft Carriers, formerly tankers, Shell's Amastra seen below was a typical example of what were affectionately referred to as 'Woolworths'.



AMASTRA

However the first leg of the voyage to Gibraltar wasn't without incident, during adverse weather conditions two airmen were killed attempting to land their Swordfish on the deck of a 'Woolworth'. A lesser incident occurred on the 'Stikine' when a stowaway gave himself up, Captain Naismith couldn't land the miscreant and so he was sent to work down below under the charge of the Chief Engineer, Alexander Gow. Gow reflected at the time that young John O'Hare from Liverpool could have chosen a safer ship to stow away on loaded as she was to the gunnels with high explosives.

On arriving at the Straits of Gibraltar the convoy split into two, Stikine's half headed into the Mediterranean, the remainder set course for West Africa. Stikine's was joined a few hours later by further vessels which had sailed from the States for the voyage out to India and Pakistan, again Stikine was allocated an outside lane for obvious reasons. The convoy proceeded along the North African Coast and most of the ships hoisted a barrage balloon including Stikine as a defence against air attack, this action must have slowed the ships' progress quite considerably. When off Algiers the convoy was attacked by four Focke-Wulf Condors, fortunately passing over Stikine's line and opening fire on the second. For the next half hour of daylight and well into dusk the Germans maintained their attacks on the convoy and it was presumed by all in the convoy that it was shortage of fuel that forced the planes to return to their base when the attack was broken off.

The convoy proceeded into the Mediterranean without further mishap and again divided South of Sicily into two groups, the larger group turning north towards Italy, with Stikine and eleven others maintaining their course for Port Said. After entering the Canal Fort Stikine anchored at Port Taufiq to take on bunkers and fortunately her stowaway John O'Hare was handed over to the Authorities. Having completed her bunkers Stikine then sailed through the Canal, Red Sea and after calling at Aden for stores made her way to her first port of call, Karachi.

Fort Stikine arrived in Karachi at 1500 hours on the 30th of March. After discharging the crated gliders and Spitfires the ship's Officers then began the task of filling the vacated space with 8, 700 bales of raw cotton, drums of lube oil, timber, scrap iron, sulphur, fish manure, rice and resin. To say that they were more than a little alarmed at what they were expected to carry would be putting it mildly. So much so that Captain Naismith complained to the Shippers, their response was in effect 'Didn't he know that there was a War on?' The last straw was on the 7th of April when 750 drums of turpentine turned up with the Shippers proposing that the highly inflammable concoctions be placed on top of the ship's coal bunkers, Captain Naismith turned them down flat. All the Deck Officers voiced their concerns over the stowage of cotton with lube oil in the same hold as explosives but couldn't find any reference books on the ship or ashore and so it was with a great deal of misgivings that the cargo was loaded. In fact two years earlier a book had been published by the United States Government printing office written by Joseph Leming and it said the following on the carriage of cotton:

In storing cotton two factors require consideration: stowing so as to get the largest possible number of bales in the ship, but guarding against the danger of fire either from loading or during the voyage.

Adequate dunnage and mats should be used and all iron plates in the hold of the vessel should be well covered with burlap or mats.

Every vessel carrying cotton should be equipped with either steam or chemical fire extinguishers and they should be thoroughly inspected and overhauled before commencing to receive the cargo.

While loading or discharging cotton the fire hoses should be ready for immediate use and water barrels and buckets should be at hand near the hatches. 'No Smoking' notices should be posted and the ship's Officers should rigidly enforce this order. All galley funnels should be covered with gauze or other suitable material to prevent sparks reaching the cargo.

Cotton bales which are, or have been, in contact with oil or grease are very liable to spontaneous combustion. For this reason cotton should never be loaded in holds which have recently been painted unless it is certain the paint has thoroughly dried or hardened. For this same reason cotton bales should not be stowed close to any oily or greasy goods.

Wet cotton bales are not liable to spontaneous combustion although this was for many years believed to be the case. Such bales will, however, deteriorate if stowed in a confined space and it is recommended that all wet or damp bales, as well as those with torn wrappers and missing bands, be refused.

During the voyage it is advisable to have all the ventilators covered with wire gauze to prevent carelessly thrown matches from entering the cargo holds and possibly starting a serious fire.

A further publication from the U.S. stated the necessity for keeping lubricating oil and raw cotton well separated if stowed in the same hold. It then added when carrying cotton and explosives they should never be carried in the same hold and should be stowed at opposite ends of the ship. Also for all Officers of Fort Stikine this information was not available, British Ministry of War Transport pamphlets which were accessible and dealt with explosives made no mention, of cotton whatsoever. Prior to sailing the Chief Officer Mr. Harris gathered his deck crew together and tested all the ship's fire fighting equipment and Captain Naismith declared he was to hold an extra fire drill once the ship had left Karachi. With five civilian watchmen, a crew member on the gangway and two Dems Gunners patrolling the deck, an Officer on watch and two Pakistan policemen on or near the ship it's fair to say that sabotage was not a factor in events which were to follow. The cotton was stowed in the lower hold, wood and then scrap iron were placed on top and then the lower hatch covers were put into place. Before the lube oil could be stowed it was discovered that one of the drums was definitely leaking with others suspect, so Harris laid tarpaulin and nailed it down himself over the lower hold covers. The American regulations stipulated that no more than 250 barrels of oil should be carried in the same hold as raw cotton and then separated by the length of the hold, Fort Stikine loaded a thousand barrels and it was stacked immediately above the cotton.

Considering that three holds Numbers Two, Three and Four contained mixtures of explosives and ammunition it was hardly surprising that Captain Naismith declared to Harris and Henderson "We are carrying just about everything that will either burn or blow up". "The least we can do is to have extra fire drills". Harris duly organised the drills and was pleased the way the men carried them out, each one no doubt mindful of what lay beneath his feet. Fort Stikine sailed from Karachi on the 9th of April and joined a convoy of tankers for the voyage to Bombay.

Fort Stikine arrived at Bombay in the early hours of the 12th of April and anchored in the Roads which lay between Bombay Island and the mainland. The pilot arrived a few minutes before 1000 hours; the ship then made her way towards Victoria Dock and arrived alongside at midday. No-one within the dock area was aware of her dangerous cargo because the flying of the 'Red Flag' had been discontinued for the duration as the ships flying the flag were quite well aware of being 'The Target Ship' in the event of an air raid. Under normal conditions ships carrying explosives were not allowed alongside and were discharged into lighters, because of the war this prohibition had been lifted. Explosions fall into three categories, A,B and C, the least dangerous 'C' could be loaded into warehouses and await transport, 'B' had to be loaded into waiting wagons for immediate carriage and the highly sensitive 'A' could only be off loaded into lighters moored alongside the ship and never on the quay. Fort Stikine was immediately granted 'A' certificate of grave urgency by Major R.C.R. Hawkes on behalf of the Embarkation Commandant and work commenced a short while later when all five hold hatches covers were lifted. No lighters arrived to unload the category 'A' explosives until the following afternoon despite the grave urgency certificate issued by Major Hawkes.

Work commenced however on discharging other cargo including the drummed lube oil onto the jetty. The Foreman Stevedore Shapoorjee Desai noticed that after discharging the drums from both Number One and Two holds quite a few of the drums were leaking and that the tarpaulins nailed down by Harris has a slick of oil covering them. It was at this juncture that an extra gang were employed to work Number One hold to facilitate the rapid discharge of the fish manure which by now was causing distress to all onboard. The gang worked all night and it was this action which created much discussion at the later commission of enquiry. Could for instance one of the labour force have climbed the ladder out of Number One hold into the forward Mast house, gone through the bulkhead door should it have been unlocked and descended into Number Two hold for a cigarette unseen? Sadly for all concerned conjecture and not a solution. The Second Officer, Harris was convinced the interconnecting door was locked, Edward, the Third Officer however said that the key had been given to the Foreman Stevedore to ease access to Number One hold and that the door had been open for most of the night. On the morning of the thirteenth Sergeant Mc Phee of the Ordinance Corps, one of Captain Oberst's men discussed with Desai the Foreman Stevedore exactly where the separate categories of explosives were to be landed, the lighters for the category 'A' explosives arrived at midday. At the same time an officer from the M.O.W.T. met with Alex Gow, the Chief Engineer to discuss the necessary maintenance required in the Engine Room the most difficult of which was the intermediate slide valve on the main engine. The official sanctioned the repair work, Gow along with his engineers and shore side fitters commenced work immediately thus rendering the ship immovable except by tug.

At midday the Stevedores broke for lunch and as it turned out so did the civilian watchmen, a matter unknown to Captain Naismith, his Officers or the two Dems Gunners who were patrolling the ship both forward and aft. At half past twelve smoke was seen to be emitting from the ventilators of Number Two hold by the Chief Officer of Fort Crevier which lay across the dock at Number Eleven berth. Two other men on Fort Crevier spotted the same smoke a short while later and a Dems Gunner on S.S. Iran also reported seeing it. Sub Inspector Critchell of the Boimbay Police in the dockside tower remembered seeing it at half past one but as like many other witnesses dismissed the idea that anything was seriously wrong on the premise that if it was those onboard would have had the situation in hand. It wasn't until another fifteen minutes had passed that the smoke was spotted by Mohamed Taqi a Foreman whose gang had recommenced work in Number Two hold. As the smoke thickened the Stevedores began to scramble out of the hold shouting warnings to those above of the imminent danger. At the same time members of Stikines crew spotted the smoke and raised the alarm. On hearing the shouts of 'Fire' Alex Gow quickly entered the Engine Room and started the fire pump, Harris the Second Mate with the aid of the Deck Crew ran out a hose to Number Two hatchway and they were soon joined by other Crew Members with more hoses; and water was directed into the hold. A standard precaution in the docks was to have an emergency trailer pump with a full crew standing by when a ship was being discharged. Alerted that something was terribly wrong by the stampede to get off Stikine the Section Leader gave the order to get onboard with their hoses and remembering that the ship contained explosives ordered his Sub Leader to contact the Fire Brigade Control Room and give them a 'Number Two' message.

Unfortuantely the Sub Officer unable to get through to the Control Room on the telephone broke the glass on the fire alarm out of sheer desperation, all this effectively did was to alert the Fire Brigade to the existence of a fire, not that it involved explosives! Consequently only two engines were dispatched. Meanwhile onboard with five hoses playing into the hold those involved began to feel mildly optimistic. In an attempt to discover the seat of the fire Henderson the Mate accompanied by one of the Firemen descended into the hold to ascertain just exactly where it was. Due to the density of the smoke both men climbed back out of the hold and the five hoses continued to pour in water blindly. Within eight minutes the two engines arrived at Number One berth and six more hoses were added to the five already in situ, on learning that explosives were onboard the Officer in charge, Mobarak Singh notified the Control Room that it was a 'Number Two' situation and more help was required. Five minutes later Major Oberst arrived and as we know made the declaration that unless the fire was extinguished rapidly the whole of the dock area was under threat.

Within minutes a meeting was held on deck between Oberst, Naismith, Henderson, Harris, Gow and Commander J.H. Longmire of the Royal Indian Navy who was the Chief Salvage Officer in Bombay, and had arrived onboard to offer assistance. Oberst declared that Stikine had the equivalent explosive power onboard equal to 150 Blockbusters and the only option open to the Captain was to scuttle his ship. However the depth of the water in which Stikine was lying ruled out winching her over and the bilge lines were all fixed with non-return valves which negated flooding the hold. Gow stated that the Engine and Boiler Rooms could be flooded but he doubted whether this would be sufficient to sink her. As previously stated the depth of water in the dock also ruled out this possibility. Oberst had no power onboard Stikine, he could advise only, his powers came into force once the explosives had been landed, and he again reiterated his fears to the ship's Captain.

Meanwhile on receiving the 'Number Two' message the Fire Brigade Control Room dispatched a further eight engines, the switchboard also informed the Chief of Bombay Fire Brigade, Mr. Norman Coombs, both arrived at the scene within minutes of each other. By this time 32 hoses were playing into the hold and Coombs tried to assess where the seat of the fire was from the deck. Finding the task impossible he called for volunteers to go down into the hold, Mobarak Singh and Arthur Reynolds, a Fire Officer with the Bombay Port Trust, answered his call. Donning smoke helmets both men descended into the hold but were forced back, not by the smoke, but by the intense heat now being generated in the Tween Deck. Aware that detonators lay in Number One hold adjacent to the bulkhead with Number Two Harris with Crew members that could be spared along with Ordinance men attempted to move them forward out of danger. By 14:45 hours the bulkhead dividing these two holds had become increasingly hot and the men in Number One could hear ammunition exploding in Number Two. On deck further discussion was taking place as to the viability of introducing steam into the hold and battening down the hatches. Gow's opinion was that it was impossible to close down the lower hatch because of the heat and that by battening the upper hatch only made the space to be smothered too great. Coombs ordered five more engines and also asked for Colonel J.R. Sadler the dock's General Manager to come down to the ship, at this juncture Coombs was unaware that Oberst the explosives expert was onboard. Some discussion took place as to Captain Naismith's inability to reach a decision as to the scuttling of his ship; none were aware that the depth of water beneath her keel would have allowed this anyway.

Colonel Sadler arrived onboard at 1450 Hrs and after surveying the hold informed the Captain that Stikine should be floated out of the harbour.Yet another piece of inadequate advice for Captain Naismith to consider, he knew that his ships engine was disabled due to the repair work and the only way Stikine could vacate the dock was with the assistance of tugs. An argument then ensued between Sadler and Coomb's as to the merits of the formers solution, Sadler's parting shot was that she would most probably blow up long before she could be towed to deep water. Coomb's however remained optimistic that his crew's efforts would prevail, after all they had saved sixty ships in the past at an average of one a month and fifteen of those had been carrying explosives.

Two water boats arrived on the scene shortly after 1500Hrs, the Doris was able to play three hoses, the Panwell a further six. None of the high profile men now onboard Stikine felt that he could take overall command of the increasingly dangerous situation, of the two men authorised to do so ashore neither could be contacted, namely The Commodore, Royal Indian Navy, Bombay and the Naval Officer in Charge, Bombay. Therefore onboard the ship was three conflicting points of view as to how best to cope with the problem and who if any had the authority to make a decision. Captain Naismith wanted to save his ship, Sadler his docks and Coomb's wanted Stikine to stay where she was so his crew could concentrate on extinguishing the fire. Oberst however doubted that none of the men could comprehend what was about to happen when Stikine blew up as she was sure to do in his opinion.

At just after 1500Hrs Coombs was passed the information that a hot spot had appeared on the port side just above deck level, he at last had his seat of the fire. His first decision was to cut a hole in the three eighths thick steel which constituted the ships hull using an oxy-acetylene set which would enable his crews to direct their hoses right at the heart of the fire. However due to the inadequacy of the first set on the docks and a delay in receiving a set sent for from the authorities his solution was not to be. Conditions onboard deteriorated rapidly, on the upper deck the plates had become so hot that Coombs ordered water to be played on them, his firemen were now standing in water that was beginning to boil! There was that much water in the hold some nine hundred tons, that the bales of cotton were by now floating around inside creating further havoc.

Palmer having given up on the defective oxy-acetylene ashore went back onboard Stikine and took charge of the firemen on the port side, Coombs remained with his men on the starboard side. The floating bales by now had ignited the dunnage which had been used to pack round the cases of ammunition. At 1515Hrs the explosives caught fire and thick black smoke poured up through the hatches engulfing the firemen still playing their hoses. This was quickly followed by flames leaping above the hatch combing, at the same time burning pieces of cotton spewed skywards drifting away from Stikine threatening other ships tied up in the docks. Palmer and Coombs rallied their men once more and to a man they all returned to the hatch carrying their hoses. The following five minutes saw the flames rise and fall until at 1550Hrs a giant flame shot out of the hold, even passing the height of the ships mast. Coombs screamed the order for his men to " Get Clear ", Palmer and his men jumped onto the jetty many sustaining broken limbs, Coombs and his party jumped into the water. Palmer with those able bodied started to tackle the fires breaking out at number one shed, Coombs tackled the blaze at number fourteen with those men which had successfully crossed the dock.

At the same time that Coombs gave the order for his men to stand down Captain Naismith issued the order to abandon ship, his men who had remained onboard throughout scrambled down the gangway followed by their Captain and Chief Officer. Naismith not sure everyone was accounted for returned onboard for one last look round to make sure, having assured himself that all were ashore he retraced his steps down the gangway and started to walk aft to join up with Henderson and Stevens. As he approached them at the vessel's stern Stikine exploded throwing Stevens, many yards along the quay, Stevens came round totally naked and alone, of Naismith and Henderson no trace was ever found.



View of harbour after first explosion.

The clock in the Dock Yard Tower was stopped when the first explosion occurred, 1606Hrs and remained so for many months. Oberst was flung up in the air by the blast and landed on a pile of dunnage, as he surveyed the scene around him in the gloom he observed bodies lying all around, most with their skin burnt off. Of the firemen in the immediate vicinity forty were killed outright. Fort Stikine was blown in two and her boiler, still intact was found a half mile away from number one berth. A huge tidal wave swept across the dock and ripped ships from their moorings, one ship finished astride a warehouse and Jalapadma finished up alongside what was left of Stikine. At 1633Hrs as Coombs stared across the dock surveying the scene of destruction the second explosion occurred throwing debris 2,000ft into the air. Jalapadma's poop deck along with her twelve pounder gun was blown clear over the warehouse to land some 200 yards distant. British India's Baroda which had been set on fire by the first explosion when parts of number four shed fell onboard was blown across the end of the adjacent berth when the second explosion occurred.



Baroda
P&O Collection

This secondary explosion wrecked Baroda, the remaining crew onboard had abandoned ship when she caught fire leaving Chief Officer James, Chief Engineer Stewart, his Fourth Engineer and the Purser to fight the fire on their own. The second explosion had rendered the Chief Engineer unconscious and he fell beneath a stokehold ventilator. The three remaining Officers attempted to lower him into the water but because of obstructions and their own weakness were forced to abandon not only Mr Stewart but Baroda herself. A rescue party arrived on the scene and with the assistance of the Fourth Engineer made an attempt to re-board Baroda and rescue her Chief Engineer, sadly for Mr Stewart the heat and intensity of the flames drove them back and the attempt had to be abandoned. As well as Chief Engineer Stewart Captain S.A. Kiely of Shirala also perished in the explosion.

The account which follows are Mr Derek P. Ings personnel memories of that fateful day, Derek had joined H.M.T. Chantilly as Assistant Purser in October of 1943.

Chantilly had arrived in Bombay on the 3rd of March, had discharged her American Troops and in the days preceeding the explosion her crew had been informed that Chantilly was to be converted for use as a Hospital Ship, number 63.



Chantilly
D.P. Ings

Built in 1923 by AT. ET. Chant. De la Loire, St. Nazaire.
Tonnage : 9,986g, 5,959n.
Engines : Twin screw, 2x3 Stage Turbines by Builder
Crew: 159
Launched 14th March 1922, completed January 1923.

She was requisitioned in 1941 and managed by B.I.S.N., then to Gray, Dawes & Co but still retained her B.I. Officers. She served in the Liner Division, first as a Personnel Ship before being converted for use as a Hospital Ship in Bombay. She was returned to her French owners at Wars end and was finally scrapped in Marseilles in 1952.



D.P. Ings

This Article first appeared in The B.I. News No 61 in October of 1969.

After twenty five years the memory loses its edge but I recall that for me Friday, 14th April 1944, started out much as any other day at that time. I was Assistant Purser of Chantilly and at that time she was undergoing conversion from a troopship to become a hospital ship.

I remember going ashore during the afternoon for a haircut. On the return to the ship at about 4.15 p.m. I was walking along a road just inside Alexandra Dock from Green Gate when I became conscious that smoke and flames were shooting high into the sky in the distance immediately in front of me. Before I could fully realise what was happening the ground around was shaken by a tremendous explosion which made me step back a pace or two and raise my hands as though to protect myself.

My next recollection is of the surrounding confusion as the people in the dock area took to their heels in no uncertain manner. I made my way to Chantilly which was lying on the outer wall of Alexandra Dock. I expected that a nearby tanker had exploded but as I neared the berth I could see that the explosion had taken place further away than I had thought, and in fact it was in Victoria Dock.

All the while there were minor explosions but at approximately 4.45 p.m. there was another explosion as violent, if not more so, than the first. By this time I was back onboard and the whole ship shook as though hit by a torpedo. A number of windows, window frames and door locks were shattered and shrapnel from the explosion, about three quarters of a mile away, fell on and around the ship.

I had to return ashore shortly afterwards and, passing through the dock area, found abandoned vehicles and dhows at many points, some of the dhows in the stream with their cargoes of cotton ablaze.

My journey took me through Green Gate and along Ballard Road to St. George's Hospital where I intended visiting a shipmate. It was now an hour after the first explosion and all the shops, stalls and eating places had closed. Many of the windows of offices and shops had been blown out and glass and roof tiles were strewn everywhere. There were some people in the streets, mostly office or shop workers, but there was no sign of the sweeper class.

I reached the hospital at about 5.30 p.m.; passing a dead gharry horse lying at the entrance. My friend had been put out of his bed to make room for the injured that were arriving by ambulance in a very dirty and bedraggled condition. Mattresses were being put down all over the ground floor to treat the casualties.

On my way back to the ship I could see the R.I.N. sailors being sent by lorry to fight the fire at Victoria Dock, the pall of smoke from which hung like a cloud over the whole of the city.

The police had now closed the Red Gate and I had to walk round to Green Gate to get back into the docks. On the way round, and only a few yards from Mackinnons' office, I came upon a piece of twisted steel plate about twelve inches by six inches which had been blown over a mile by the explosion to land harmlessly in the road.

There was now more movement in the docks and the Indian Army was busy pulling dhows away to clear the locks. I was able to cross to the other side by jumping from one dhow to another as they were moving.

As I neared the ship I saw some of the crew leaving hurriedly and found that another explosion ( of 1200 cylinders of H.P. gas ) was expected at any time and we were warned to keep off the decks.

The earlier explosions had flung incendiary bombs over a wide area and small fires were burning everywhere. There were now thirty burning dhows in the stream and, as they sank, their cargoes of cotton still smoldered on the surface. The ships on the harbour wall, including ourselves and Mantola, put down boats to rescue the dhow crews.

Darkness fell and the night sky reflected the blazing parts of the city. I watched from the monkey island and could hear the hiss of the cylinders as they ignited one by one.

I turned in at 11.00 p.m. to the sound of the occasional explosion of gas cylinders and with a burning dhow outside my port.

Next morning the fire was reported to be under control but the smoke still poured skywards. The only explosions to be heard were those caused by the demolition parties. During the morning I walked towards the scene of the explosion and, whilst still in Alexandra Dock, saw several large steel plates, all twisted and torn, too heavy for one person to lift.

By this time Alexandra Dock had been almost cleared of ships, only two were left and we were on four hour' notice. The Ismailia had been loading explosives just across from where we were lying and there had been a tanker lying ahead of us flying the danger flag.

The fire continued to burn for all of that day and for the following night; by this time dead bodies were to be seen floating in the water off the ship.

It was not until sometime afterwards that I was able to learn the full story leading to the catastrophe. At that period of war-time restrictions, the newspapers were unable to print the facts, but I see from " The Evening News of India " dated 15th of April that the explosion took a relative minor place compared with the news of the rout of the Germans in the Crimea.

The culprit was the Fort Stikine, where fire had broken out at 1.30 p.m. on the 14th of April; the ship having been loaded with cotton and other combustibles on top of explosives in the lower holds. The cotton had self-combusted and although the Bombay fire brigade had tried to put out the blaze their efforts were without avail and it was too late to take the ship out into the harbour before the first explosion took place.

In all 27 ships were destroyed in Victoria and Princess Docks, including the Baroda whose Chief Engineer Officer, Mr James Stewart, was lost with the ship, Captain S.A.Kiely who was in command of Shirala at the time also died in the explosion.



Chantilly as Hospital Ship No 63.
D.P. Ings

A further 25 firemen had been killed in the second explosion with 83 injured leaving the fire brigade all but decimated. Many people were killed outside the dock area by falling shrapnel and shells which exploded on impact, many buildings collapsed and others were set on fire.



Workers fleeing the scene after the second explosion.

In amongst the debris falling from the sky were the 28lb ingots of gold, one of the first to be found was picked up by Burjorji Motiwala a retired Parsee Civil Engineer. The ingot had crashed through the buildings corrugated roof, penetrated the floor of the balcony above and come to rest on his balcony in the corner. The bar was stamped Z13256 and was worth 90,000 Rupee's, Mr Motiwala received a reward of 999 Rupee's which he donated to the relief fund.

Within the docks fire raged in most of the warehouses and on many of the ships, those firemen and volunteers, many of them servicemen were hampered to a large extent by the amount of debris floating on the water which blocked the pump suction filters.



Position of Ships after explosions.



Debris floats in a solid mass.

The chaos and lack of organisation which had occurred aboard Stikine extended beyond and hampered the efforts of those who now found themselves fighting the fires within the immediate dock area. A typical example occurred when Army Officers marched into a brigade station and requisitioned the remaining pumps, handed them over to inexperienced soldiers and left 68 firemen with no means of fighting anything. The area of fire extended out from the epicentre by approximately 900 yards and included all of Victoria and Princess Docks, the Godown estate to the West, the Burmah Oil installation to the North and the Rice Market to the South. On the Western side it had gone beyond the Godowns and had set fire to many of the dwellings of the poorer natives who lived on the fringes of the city proper. It took four more days to extinguish the main fire and for a further two weeks smaller fires continued to smolder in the ruins.

231 people were killed attached to the various services which included the fire brigade and dock employee's, another 476 were injured. Outside the docks over 500 civilians were killed and a further 2,408 were injured. Thirteen ships were lost, Fort Stikine, Baroda, Fort Crevier,Kinguan, El Hind, and Jalapadma, all British. Van der Heyden, General Van der Sweiten and the Tenoba all Dutch, Iran and Norse Trader were Panamanian, the Rod El Farag for Egypt and finally the Norwegian Graciosa. In all some 50,000 tons of shipping was destroyed with a further 50,000 tons severely damaged. Of the Stikine's Officers and crew, Captain Naismith, Chief Officer Henderson and Alexander Jopp the Second Cook lost their lives, the remainder miraculously survived. Within seven months the Docks in Bombay was back in operation and it was estimated that up to 8,000 men had been involved in the clean up project including troops from Britain, West Africa and India itself.



Railroad Cars.



Warehouse with Railroad Cars.



Ships Crews salvaging.

On the 28th of October the authorities began to flood the basin at a rate of 3ft for each tide, this allowed the salvageable ships to re-float at a gradual rate and also allowed the repair crews to repair leaks as and when they were located. It took forty eight hours to complete the operation and four days later the docks were back in normal use. Three hundred acres around the docks had been cleared using bulldozers, grabs, cranes and bare hands. Three hundred and fifty Lorries a day made four round trips to Sewree carrying 3,500 tons of debris, the total amount transported exceeded 800,000 tons. I assume that there is a memorial of events which occurred in Bombay all those years ago and if anyone could provide this site with a photograph we would place it here as another permanent memorial to those that lost their lives.

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Memorial

The accompanying photograph to which the site is indebted was sent by Malcolm & Frank Heppolette, their Uncle, Dennis Palmer-Rose was the adopted son of Harold Palmer, Assistant Officer Commanding Bombay Fire Service. Harold Palmer was the Officer who had tried to cut a hole in the ships side using the defective cutting gear, whilst waiting for a second set to be delivered he returned to Fort Stikine to rejoin his men fighting the fire. When the order to abandon ship was given, he along with his men was the group that had to jump onto the dockside. He then redirected his men to fight the fire that was raging in the warehouse adjacent to Fort Stikine, tragically Harold, along with a significant number of his men were killed in the first explosion.

The photo shows the Memorial to the Bombay Fire Service Officers and Men that died that day and is to be found in the grounds of Bombay Fire Service at Byculla.



The following tribute appears on a plaque situated on the left of the Memorial.

"Erected by Public Subscription
in sacred memory of
The Officers and Men of the Bombay Fire Services
who lost their lives in the Bombay Dock explosions
while on duty on 14th April 1944"

At the base of the plinth is a scene which depicts firemen working and rescuing people at the Docks.

A piece of propeller that landed in St. Xaviers High School, some three kilometres from the docks.

Royal Albert Sailor's Home, Bombay c.1890s.Built on the site of Bombay's first British cemetery, this building has since become a council hall and a police headquarters.