英語訳
【Right page (continued description of damage in Nishikanbara District)】
In the area, 5 houses were washed away, 12 collapsed, 4,921 were inundated, there were no casualties, 14,508 destitute persons required assistance, over 74 ken of national roads were damaged, 31 bridges were washed away or destroyed, and the affected agricultural area totaled 9,524 chō, most of which remained flooded at the time of writing. Nishikanbara District suffered the most severe damage in the entire prefecture: 12,756 houses were inundated, 153 washed away, 182 collapsed, 6 people died, 30,012 destitute persons required assistance, over 1,077 ken of embankments were destroyed, and the flooded area exceeded 18,166 chō. Within an area stretching 10 ri east to west and approximately 3 ri north to south, the floodwaters stood generally between 3 and 7 shaku deep, giving the landscape the appearance of an open sea. The destitute population took refuge in attics and on top of embankments, and their condition was utterly wretched. Given the generally low-lying terrain, there was little prospect of the water receding easily. Due to such conditions, it was still impossible to survey the roads and bridges in the affected areas.
●Flood Damage in Toyama Prefecture
Damage in Toyama Prefecture, Toyama City In the great flood of July 21st, the two districts of Kaminiikawa and Imizu appear to have suffered the most damage in Toyama Prefecture. In particular, Toyama City in Kaminiikawa District had already experienced a breach of over 150 ken in the embankments of the Jōganji River near Kamitakichō and Maseguchi Village during the flooding of the 7th of the same month. The eastern part of the city was inundated as a result, and just when the stopwork repairs had barely been completed, the flooding of the 21st demolished the entire project. Moreover, the water level of the Jinzū River also rose to 1 jō 6 shaku 5 sun, and the embankment at Fuse Village breached over several tens of ken. Consequently, with the exception of small portions of Fukurochō, Nakachō, East and West Tsutsumichō, Ifukuchō, Arachō, Tokiwachō, and other neighborhoods considered to be among the highest-elevation areas within the city, the entire city was submerged in muddy floodwaters, resulting in houses being swept away and others destroyed. People and livestock alike suffered casualties, bringing about an extraordinarily dire situation. Simultaneously, in the various towns and villages outside the city, those lying in the path of the breach channels also had houses swept away or destroyed, while paddy fields where rice had been growing beautifully in fertile soil were washed away without a trace, replaced by deposits of sand, earth, and gravel — a scene of utter devastation.
【Lower section of left page】
In response, prefectural and district officials worked diligently on relief efforts and on closing the main breach points in the embankments. Just when the work was approximately 90% complete, on August 2nd they were struck by yet another flood. This time, embankments breached at several points in the villages of Isobe and Hiyodori-jima, near the confluence of the main and tributary streams of the Jinzū River, causing extensive inundation of houses and damage to farmland.
According to the most recent survey by Toyama Prefectural Office, the damage statistics for Toyama City on July 21st were as follows:
(People) Deaths: 2 Injuries: 3
(Livestock) Deaths: 13
(Buildings) Washed away: 3 Destroyed: 30
(Inundated houses) Above floor level: 5,932 Below floor level: 1,008
(Warehouses) Destroyed: 5
(Storehouses) Washed away: 1 Destroyed: 1
(Embankments) Destroyed: 100 ken Partially damaged: 228 ken
(Bridges) Washed away: 6 Destroyed: 19
Furthermore, according to a newspaper published in Toyama City, at around 3:00 a.m. on August 7th, the water level of the Itachi River rose by 6 shaku. The torrent that finally cut through between the 6th and 7th embankments in front of Maseguchi surged forward with tremendous force — half flowing between the Aiguchi irrigation channel and the embankment, and the other half inundating the village of Nishi-no-Tsugaemura. Within that village the flow divided in two: one part flowed into the Itachi River, but by the afternoon the other part flowed into Ayada Village, and by around 2:00 p.m. had finally flooded Inarichō. From there, the entire Yanagimachi district became waterlogged, causing the bridge in front of the Ōhota Shrine to collapse and one house at the bridgehead to be destroyed. Furthermore, Tatemachi, Higashi-Nakamachō, Nishi-Nakamachō and surrounding areas became like a vast lake, causing great alarm among the residents. The Toyama Police Station immediately summoned off-duty officers, and Station Chief Ashiya, together with Inspector Tsuchida and Inspector Komatsu, were dispatched to Inarichō to lead flood prevention efforts. Additionally, Security Section Chief Hagiwara, Inspector Hanawa, and station officers and trainee constables were also dispatched from the Police Department. By around 3:00 p.m., Secretary Ōunabara, Tax Collection Chief Takemura, and Prefectural Official Eguchi and others also arrived in succession in the area, and proceeded to [mobilize flood prevention workers — continued on next page]