Florence

I Should say Florence is a must visit Once in lifetime

St. Xavier's College, Mumbai, Histroy

Some of mute by gone founders of  St. Xavier's College, Mumbai

Being a German institute in British India, the college suffered wide repercussions during the First World War (1914–1918). Following the outbreak of the war, the German Jesuit priests, mainly the older ones, were interned and detained in 1914 at the college villa in Khandala, where many died as POWs. However, the younger German Jesuits were repatriated in 1916,

See The POW and Br clearly written on Tablet with dates

The actual state of Jail were St Xavier's founders were jailed in 1914-1916

The date on the Jail 

The View from Near the Jail

Currently The land is up for Grab by five shady partners and these founders of St Xaviers Institution, Mumbai are in danger of being lost in time, The Jail which held these Jesuits was constructed in 1896, and this 22 Acre land is up for Grab for 5 Cr per Acre, According to ASI act 1958, This place along with jail is "Monument"  for this Land Sharks this doesn't matter, The Road to the property is blocked by Raheja Builders very recently, The other part of the Land is sold to Some foreign Arab National, Hope some alumini Association takes up this cause.. i can only hope!

Camping Near Bhandardhara Dam, also called Wilson Dam

The Pitching of Tents, The views, The Wilson Dam View

Karjat Khandala Lonavala Railway history

In Image Adamson With Beard, Standing is Mr Clowser, Sitting is Mr Berkley.

Image is from Institution of Mechinical Engineers,

When we travel to khandala Lonavala we never think of the engineering marvels way back in 1855 by Amazing engineers, Solomon Alice Tredwell, James James Berkley (surveyor and route designer), Swainson Adamson , George Louis Clowser, Governer Elphinstone, Here i have tried to join pieces of Histroy,





Reversing station

The image from Viaduct, See The Letters GIPR Printed on a sleeper,






























































Dukes Nose is Visible from the Horizon.















I happen to Ask This Guy when he joined railways He said 1971!

Alice Tredwell, The Contractor who completed GIPR Railway contact, Actually it was bagged by Solomon tredwell, Her husband,

Solomon Tredwell Was a railway pioneer who worked the Great Indian Peninsula Railway contract,The GIPR construction contract was relented to Solomon from William Frederick Faviell in November 1859. The contract was originally awarded (autumn 1855) to William Frederick Faviell.

Mr Solomon was married to Alice Tredwell they had a son and a daughter, He expired at khandala, Maharashtra, India two weeks after landing in Bombay.

Swainson Adamson and George Louis Clowser, were hired by Alice tredwell for completion of the work on Karjat-khandala-Lonavala, under the guidance of James James Berkley (surveyor and route designer).

During the construction of the railroad there was a bad attack of cholera, which killed many workers, there were Accidents like tunnel collapse, Viaduct Failures etc.

He has worked with great Brunell.


Solomon Tredwell was born in Worcestershire in 1823 the son of Elizabeth and William a canal digger, according to the baptism entry for Thomas in Burbage, and then a wharfinger on later entries. In 1841 he was living in Reigate and working as a contractor with many other people nearby all working on the railway. In 1851 was found living at High Field, Leek with his wife and daughter Alice Pickering and her family, the Pickering boys were also Contractors.


Solomon Tredwell worked on the Great Eastern (paddle steamer) 1853~1859 with Brunell, whilst the Great Eastern made history with its revolutionary design, the ship was never a great success commercially, and was plagued by a series of mishaps. Eventually, it ended its days as a tourist attraction, before being broken down for scrap. A sad end for a magnificent 'Wonder of the Industrial World'.

After the Great Eastern Solomon went to India to work on the railways out there, taking over from Willliam Frederick Faviell on 29th October 1859. In the early years the lines were designed by British engineers but built by Indian manual labour. The work was hard and took its toll. For example, the Great Indian Peninsula Railway lost nearly a third of its workforce through disease or accident during the eight years spent constructing the line from Bombay to Poona. Among these was Solomon, the line's contractor, who died in Khandalla, Bombay in 1859, 2 weeks after his arrival to start work on the Bhore Ghat contract. his widow Alice took over responsibility, appointed new engineers and oversaw construction through to the railway's completion in 1863. He left about £70,000 in his will.

I Have visited This section on foot took some pictures, of the same 1856 railway line, the Words GIPR still can be seen clear and loud, The viaduct are unchanged since it was constructed, Indian railway have illmainted the tunnel section which gives them so high revenue(actually this line connects India to financial capital!!!.

Avinash Lewis


== References ==

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isambard_Kingdom_Brunel
http://www.allen-family-tree.co.uk/solomon-tredwell.html
http://wiki.fibis.org/index.php?title=Great_Indian_Peninsula_Railway
http://www.allen-family-tree.co.uk/Solomon-will.html



Alice Tredwell

Lonavala Tunnel

Roses at Vangni Nursery

New Images