翻刻
千曲川大洪水二付御届申上候当月四日夜再御届申上
置候三月廿四日夜大地震にて犀川上真田信濃守領
分平林村地内字虚空蔵山山抜崩犀川江御師出し
川中を埋立流水を塞候付其節ゟ当月十三日まて
日数廿日之間川上村々江水開湛罷在候処兼而心得
方申渡置処高木清左衛門支配所信州高井郡立
ヶ花村渡船場守同日夜五ッ時注進申出候ハ千曲
川筋俄二出水水先ト相見候処暫時二相嵩驚入申候
右ハ犀川押埋候場所切破候儀二も可有之哉と申立候
付不取敢清左衛門手代夫々手配川通村々救手当水防
として差出候間も無之陣屋許近辺村々迄同水湛入家
居水下二相成中野村之儀ハ地高之場所二付別条無御
座候追々人牛馬とも逃参り候儀二有之且千曲川之儀
ハ同夜九ッ時頃迄凡弐丈八尺之水丈二相成川筋ハ惣
越内郷村々共田畑ハ勿論家居水冠夜中之儀水先̪碇と
難見定翌十四日暁六時凡壱丈余にて暫時間水嵩之
重畳二可有之昨夜中ゟ家居諸道具材木等夥敷流
込候木品并藁屋根上二取付縋居候人民とも流れ参候者
夥敷有之候付死失怪我人等多可有之前代未聞之大洪
現代語訳
千曲川大洪水についてお届け申し上げます。当月四日夜に再度お届け申し上げておりました三月二十四日夜の大地震により、犀川上流の真田信濃守領分平林村地内字虚空蔵山が山崩れを起こし、犀川へ土砂が流れ出て川中を埋め立て、流水を塞ぎました。その時から当月十三日まで日数二十日の間、川上の村々に水が湛えられておりました。かねてより心得として申し渡しておいた高木清左衛門支配所信州高井郡立ヶ花村渡船場の番人が、同日夜五つ時に注進してきたところによると、千曲川筋が俄かに出水し、水嵩が上がってきたと見えたところ、短時間で水位が上昇し驚き入ったとのことです。これは犀川が押し埋められた場所が決壊したことによるものと思われると申し立てました。
そのため取り急ぎ清左衛門の手代たちがそれぞれ手配し、川沿いの村々への救援・水防として差し向けましたが、間もなく陣屋近辺の村々まで同様に浸水し、家屋が水没しました。中野村については地勢が高い場所にあるため別状ありませんでした。追々人や牛馬ともに逃げてまいりました。また千曲川については、同夜九つ時頃まで約二丈八尺の水位となり、川筋は総じて越後内郷の村々とも田畑はもちろん家屋も水に覆われ、夜中のことで水嵩を正確に見定めることが困難でした。翌十四日暁六時には約一丈余りとなりましたが、しばらく水位の増減がありました。昨夜中から家屋や諸道具、材木等が大量に流れ込み、また藁屋根の上に取り付き縋りついている人民たちが流されてくる者が大変多くありましたので、死者や負傷者等が多数あると思われる前代未聞の大洪水
英語訳
I report regarding the great flood of the Chikuma River. Regarding the great earthquake that occurred on the night of the 24th of the 3rd month, which we reported again on the night of the 4th of this month: the earthquake caused a landslide at Kokūzō Mountain in the Hirabayashi Village area within the territory of Sanada Shinano-no-kami, located upstream on the Sai River. The landslide sent debris flowing into the Sai River, filling the riverbed and blocking the water flow. From that time until the 13th of this month, for a period of twenty days, water accumulated in the villages upstream. The ferryman at the Tategahana Village ferry crossing in Takai District, Shinano Province, under the jurisdiction of Takagi Seizaemon, to whom we had previously given instructions to be vigilant, reported at the fifth hour of the night on the same day that the Chikuma River area suddenly began flooding. When what appeared to be rising water was observed, the water level rose dramatically in a short time, which was quite alarming. This was likely caused by the breakthrough of the location where the Sai River had been blocked by debris.
Therefore, Seizaemon's deputies immediately made arrangements and dispatched rescue and flood control assistance to villages along the river. Soon after, villages near the magistrate's office were similarly flooded and houses were submerged. Nakano Village was unaffected due to its location on higher ground. People, cattle, and horses gradually fled to safety. As for the Chikuma River, by around the ninth hour of the same night, the water level reached approximately 2 jō 8 shaku, and along the river course, villages throughout the Echigo interior region had their rice fields and of course their houses covered with water. Since it was nighttime, it was difficult to accurately determine the water level. By dawn on the following 14th at the sixth hour, it was approximately 1 jō in depth, but there were fluctuations in water level for some time. Since the previous night, houses, various household goods, timber, and other items flowed in great quantities, and many people clinging to and taking refuge on thatched roofs were swept away, so there were likely many deaths and injuries in this unprecedented great flood.