The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1885-12-18
THE JAPANESE FLOODS.
A Description of the Awful Calamity
Clipped from q Hiogo Paper.

/ a Description OF the Awful
Clipped from a Hiogo Paper.
The last mail from Japan brought
! the Hiogo News of July last, which
contains the following description of
the great flood at Osaka Flu:
The magnitude of the late calamity
that has fallen upon Osaka Flu makes
it desirable that full account of the
disaster should be given to the public.
And yet it is very difficult at present
to do more than to state some of the
facts that have been obtained from re-
liable witnesses, and also to give some
of the hasty estimates made by high
er officials as to the extent of the de-
vastation.
On Saturday, the 9th of June, after
the first week of rain had ceased, the
view from the mountains ten miles
east of Osaka revealed what seemed
to be a great lake extending many
miles north and east from the foot of
the Castle. A large part of the
fruitful valley between Kyoto and
Osaka was flooded. The damage done
at that time was SO great that the
sympathy of the whole nation began
to be expressed in substantial offer
ings. and it was hoped that the worst
was passed. But two or three days
of heavy showers followed by the
many more OF drenching rains result
ed in one of the gravest calamlties
that has befallen the Empire for a
century.
On Wednesday, the 1st July, the
road north Of the Castle was literally
jammed with the crowds of men, wom-
en- and children that were being driven
before the flood like sheep. The rain
fell in torrents and the wind blew
gale. while the wretched people, de-
serti!H one thing after another that
they had tried to save, at last left all
and ran for their lives. It was evi-
continued, the Concession too would
be in some danger, and the foreigners
began to send their families to Kobe or
up to the higher ground of the city.
Next morning the whole Concession
was flooded, the deepest place being
three or four feet. The authorities
kindly put boats at the disposal ofthe
foreigners, and these, with canoes, took
the place of wading and of jinrikisha.
With this depth of water the current
bridges, one after another, were washed
away in great sections, and came drift
ing down with tremendous force upon
the three iron bridges of the Conces-
sion. Thousands of spectators gather
streets to see these bridges strike, ex-
sc +l,n1y would
through with hardly a check in their
mountain. Every effort was made to
break in pieces these wooden bridges
and to save the iron ones, and In the
dangerous work it was exciting to see
the utter recklessness of both men
the forgetfulness on the part OF
joined with the coolies hand to
hand. The immense strain on these
iron bridges, however, made them lia-
BILE to break at any moment, and as
the water was rapidly rising on the
Concession, and the streets were be-
coming swift rivers, the Flu authori-
ties, who had already repeatedly
offered their assistance. sent once
more about midnight to beg the resi-
dents to leave the Concession, stating
that they could not at all foresee
where the calamity would end, and
when once the bridges gave way it
might no longer be in their power to
do anything for the safety Of the set
tlement; they kindly offered to put a
policeman in each house, and if the
worst came they would save what
property they could. And they put
at the disposal of the foreigners the
roomy North Honganji, the highest
ground in the center OF the city.
Hardly had this exceedingly kind
offer been made when General
t1emen to express to the foreigners
his deep anxiety over their situa-
ton, and to beg them all to removeat
once. He most eourteously invited
them to use as long as they desired
thenew and commodious hospital near
the Castle. The residents gladly yielded
to these warning and generous offers,
and by 2 o'clock A. M. on Friday, the
one household-had crossed the Seifu
bridge and were Immediately escorted
to the Castle hospital.
By this time over one-third OF the
city was flooded, when in the sur
rounding country most heart-rending
scenes were taking place. Thirteen
villages just northeast of the castle
were entirely blotted out OF existence
not a vestige remaining. Another
village OF 500 houses has but one left
standing. The miserable people We're
driven to the river banks, and into
trees, and crowds of toads and huge
snakes were their companions. A ma
tive paper has an article entitled '"The
Misery of He'll" in which a man who
had climbed a pine found the snakes
above him and the flood beneath.
Thousands of people took refuge
in their cramped second stories
and on the roofs of their houses
and as no instant relief was
possible for so many, they re-
mained there without food for three
days in some cases. Many at the
sight of the awful calamity, or from
the stain consequent on seeing their