英語訳
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However, what had been thought to be a tsunami was not a true tsunami, but rather the tide, whose speed had been accelerated by the force of the wind.
▲Casualties in Shimochi Village: 4 men and 2 women injured.
▲The Great Disaster in Honkawa Village: In Honkawa Village, Tosa District, in addition to the great winds of that night, flooding was severe, and landslides triggered mudslides, causing all the rivers in the village to rise more than 2 jō (approximately 6 meters) above normal levels. As a result, all the bridges were washed away, and the inhabitants lost their escape routes; people fell into the water, were buried by collapsed earth and rocks, or were crushed by collapsing houses. The death toll truly reached over 50 people. Notably, in the hamlet of Mitsumori, where there were only 9 residents, 5 died; in Kuwase, 33 perished; in Takayabu, 3; in Ashigaya, 2; in Nagasawa, 2; and in Tonaka, 2. It is also reported that neighboring Ōkawa Village suffered a similarly catastrophic situation.
▲A Miraculous Survivor: A certain foundry worker living at Bōtsumi in Shimochi Village, who lived with his family of four, had his house washed away by the surging current and fierce winds. Carrying his child on his back, he clung to a post and barely managed to support himself. As the tide rose ever higher and the wind grew ever stronger, waves crashed over his head repeatedly, and breathing became nearly impossible — a situation of nine deaths and one life. Just at that critical moment, the wind direction changed and the tide began to ebb, allowing all four family members to survive. Also that same night, Mr. Hirao Kiju of the Tea Industry Association attempted to cross Aoyagi Bridge toward Suie during the great storm. In pitch darkness, unaware that the bridge had been blown away, he suddenly mistepped and fell into the water. Clinging to the bridge abutment and crying for help, he barely managed to save his life.
▲Casualties in Kagami Village: Imai Fumi (age 39), wife of a merchant named Kametarō, residing at 21 Kohama, Kagami Village, Tosa District, and her eldest son Yoshihisa (age 12), were struck by timbers when the house collapsed just as they were fleeing, suffering serious injuries. They are currently under medical treatment.
◎Deaths in Asahi Village: Yamazaki Kurōta (age 60), a farming household head residing at 150 Hyakushida, Asahi Village, Tosa District, fled when his house began to collapse in the storm, but the moment he ran out, a beam fell and struck him on the head,
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killing him instantly on the spot. Ikezoe Usaburō (age 43), a resident of Fukui in the same village, was similarly struck by falling timber and died instantly.
▲Drowning and Crushing Deaths: When the Bōtsumi embankment area was inundated by the surging tide, the residents raced to board rescue boats. However, given the tremendous force of the wind — exerting a pressure of 200 kan per tsubo — the boats capsized in an instant, and 8 of the 13 people aboard drowned. Among these, the most pitiable were the eldest son (age 5) and second son Masayoshi (age 3) of Matsumura Hideo of Shimochi Village. The two children had been sitting beside a chest of drawers placed against the wall of their house when, just at that moment, the roof of the neighboring house collapsed; a beam burst through the wall, knocked over the chest of drawers, and crushed Masayoshi's body, killing him instantly on the spot. The elder brother, having been slightly apart, escaped unharmed. Furthermore, Yashiro Otosama (age 14) and Yashiro Sadae (age 8) were brothers. Their father, Yashiro Hikokichi, had been a former samurai (kyūshi) from Nakashima-chō, a mounted retainer (umamoawari) of the former domain, but had fallen into poverty while wandering from place to place, and died of illness three years ago, leaving behind four children. Their mother, Shigeo, could barely manage the daily cooking fires. With the assistance of a benefactor, the third son Sadae was sent as an adopted son to a glass manufacturing plant at Bōtsumi, and through that connection, the eldest son Otosama and the second son (age 12) also went to work at the same place, earning meager wages. During the great storm, seizing a brief opportunity when the factory owner fled to the rice mill, he tried to take them there as well, but others suggested crossing by boat to Shinchi. The three brothers boarded the same boat and had just set out when seawater surged in and struck the gunwale, immediately capsizing the vessel. The second son, carrying his younger brother Sadae on his back, swam desperately, but unable to move freely with Sadae clinging to him, he shook off Sadae's hands and swam with all his might. When a piece of timber floated by, he seized upon it gratefully and clung to it, repeatedly calling out for his elder brother and younger brother, but their voices could no longer be heard. After clinging to the timber for about thirty minutes, calling their names, a sailing vessel drifted by, and he was rescued by it, finally coming ashore at Tokiwa-chō and barely saving his life. His elder brother Otosama and younger brother Sadae, however, either drowned or were entirely unaccounted for. The following morning, Sadae's [body was found — text continues on next page].
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Illustration of Over 50 People Perishing in Honkawa Village, Tosa District, Kōchi Prefecture