英語訳
**[Upper Section]**
Ōaza Ijiri had 20 households affected; Ōaza Hagishō had 40 out of 50 households; Ōaza Kajiwara had 140 out of a total of 155 households; Ōaza Kamimaki had all 106 households; Ōaza Kamiuchi had 22 households affected. The total number of affected households reached 440, and the number of people currently receiving relief assistance rose to 2,228. Furthermore, Suita Village and others in the same district also suffered severe flooding, with particularly numerous damages reported. Please refer to the accompanying illustrations for further detail. Additionally, the Kanzaki River — a tributary of the Yodo River — broke through its embankment within the boundaries of Kamitsu Village, and West Nakajima Village in Nishinari District had 863 households, Kitana Nakajima Village had 349, Kamitsu Village had 472, Utajima Village had 482, Hiejima Village had 827, and Fuku Village had 289 households, all engulfed in the flood. Fortunately, despite encountering such an extraordinary flood disaster, the number of injured and dead was remarkably small — a blessing amid misfortune. Other villages along the Yodo River also could not escape some degree of damage, though their exact conditions have not yet been fully ascertained. In short, for all those caught in the midst of the riverside calamity, there was only a difference in degree of severity. The floodwaters this time were truly without parallel; both tributaries and branch streams overflowed uniformly, and in the city of Osaka, a great many houses were inundated. Over a foot of water ran through the streets, and the rain still showed no sign of stopping. Consequently, both government officials and civilians joined forces — some devoted to defense, others to rescue — but the embankments needing protection stretched nearly several ri along all the rivers combined, the number of flood victims requiring rescue ran into the tens of thousands, and over two days and nights since the 8th, the physical strength of both officials and civilians was greatly depleted. With flood-control supplies running low, the capacity for disaster prevention was all but exhausted, yet those involved persisted in their duties of supervision and defense.
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**● Flood Damage in Hyogo Prefecture**
**The Flood in Kobe** In Kobe — a city that in ordinary times prided itself on its peace and safety — a violent storm arose: wild rain poured down, gouging the earth, uprooting trees, crumbling walls, and breaking fences, yet these were still the lesser evils. It ultimately came to the point where the embankment of the Minato River burst, and a great tragedy unfolded in which houses were toppled and people were killed. This was none other than the event of August 30th. The account is now set out below in order.
**The Storm and Torrential Rain** August 30th was the day before what is known as the *nihyaku-tōka* — the 210th day of the year, traditionally associated with storms. From morning, the clouds moved swiftly, and dark clouds gradually gathered, suggesting some vague sense of foreboding. Around 10 o'clock in the morning, a gust of northerly wind swept through; as time passed, its force grew steadily stronger, and by the afternoon it raged with ever-increasing ferocity. Simultaneously, a torrential downpour fell as if tipping over a great basin, and the storm grew even wilder, making it nearly impossible to face the elements.
**[Lower Section]**
As a result, most establishments in the city suspended business, closed their doors, and the streets were left deserted. The few who ventured outside had their umbrellas torn away and their hats blown off, left soaked to the skin like drowned rats — a spectacle beyond description. People were deeply uneasy, dreading what further calamity might befall them. As they fretted, the wind and rain only intensified their fury, with no sign of abating. The storm was at its most fierce after nightfall, continuing to blow and pour until around 11 o'clock. Then, gradually, the wind subsided and the rain too lightened — but at that very moment, a great tragedy suddenly unfolded: the collapse of the Minato River embankment.
**The Collapse of the Minato River Embankment** The Minato River forms the boundary between Kobe and Hyogo. In normal times, it carries little water, with flooding occurring only during heavy rains. Therefore, the violent rain on this occasion caused it to swell rapidly into an extraordinary flood. The torrent surged and roared with tremendous force; at its peak, muddy water swelled to the very brink of the embankment. It must have deeply penetrated the interior of the levee, for despite the embankment's proud history of having never previously failed, it could no longer withstand the fierce, crashing water, and with a thunderous rumble, roughly 80 *ken* (approximately 145 meters) of embankment collapsed all at once. The breach was located on the eastern side, roughly 100 *ken* from just above Konpira Bridge to just below Senshin Bridge (the path to the prison). The muddy water that had previously flowed in a straight line through the Minato River now gushed out from this breach like a runaway horse, splitting its course in two: one stream flowed from Aratachō's Arata-suji through Kamitachibana-dōri, Tachibana-dōri, and Tamon-dōri 1st and 2nd chōme, inundating Nakamachi, Aioi-chō, and surrounding areas, with the remaining force spreading further and flooding even the premises of the Railway Bureau. The other stream broke into Fukuhara-chō, Nakamachi, Furuminato-dōri, part of Aioi-chō, Higashi Kawasaki-chō, and all the various towns along the riverbank, with flood depths reaching three to four *shaku* above floor level at the deepest points and no less than one to two *shaku* above the floor even at the shallowest. In low-lying areas, the water was too deep to stand in. The scene was truly that of a great river in full flood — utterly devastating and terrible, beyond the power of pen and paper to convey.