Gradually, the city grew into a major naval base and became the central administrative centre for the British in South India.[1] The city served as the baseline for the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India started on 10 April 1802.[67] With the advent of railways in India in the 19th century, the thriving urban centre was connected to other important cities such as Bombay and Calcutta, promoting increased communication and trade with the hinterland.[68] Sir Arthur Lawley was Governor of Madras from 1906 to 1911 and promoted modern agriculture, industry, railways, education, the arts and more democratic governance.[69] The Governor lived in Government House, Fort St George, and had a country home at Guindy, with access to a golf course, hockey pitches, riding stables and the Guindy Horse Racing Track.[70][71] In the First World War as Red Cross Commissioner in Mesopotamia, he looked after the welfare of Indian soldiers.[72] Madras was the only Indian city to be attacked by the Central Powers during World War I,[73] when an oil depot was shelled by the German light cruiser SMS Emden on 22 September 1914, as it raided shipping lanes in the Indian Ocean, causing disruption to shipping.[74]