The last tomato - Hiroshima told in his own words: (8)

　
(8) A fearful spectacle like hell, as far as one can see

When I was crossing a bridge over the Hijisan river and looking down the river, I saw naked people going down the bank and entering into the river rapidly. The river was full in people who were going to escape from heat. However, just as they touched water, they would die. They were still entering into water. It seemed to me that the river had inhaled men.

I escaped toward the south, bypassing the Hijisan park, a small mountain foot (The Atomic bomb research institute was built here after the war). All the people who I met on the way had pitiable figures. All the people were in stark nakedness or a state close to it. The women gathered the thing which has not been burnt, then hid the portion in front of her, and walked.

I met a mother holding her young child. When I came to the reverse side of Hijisan, I found a private house which had not suffered damage. " Grandmother, give me a cup of water", I asked the grandmother of the house and I got. I drank water and regained composure.

Then, I looked at my own body. My body was unhurt although I passed along the bottom of fire. My body did not have a burn, either. I did not realize that my feet became bare unawares. I did not step any nail on my feet, though I had escaped frantically.

It was supposed that I was fortunate, However, I was not yet safe. Although I passed through the bottom of fire, I had escaped in the direction opposite of my own house.

The siren of an air-raid alarm was continuing to sound. The enemy's ship airplanes flew and repeated machine-gun mopping-up. The ship airplanes had flown at a low altitude. The face of the pilot could be seen. The machine gun was shot from the ship airplanes, and I heard the sound of flying bullets such that a wind might be sliced through.

Every time I felt fearful, I ran for a while into the air-raid shelter. After I tool a rest for a while, then I progressed again. I could not go ahead so much though I would go back to my house as soon as possible. All the air-raid shelters were full in the men and the injured who could not do much movement.

There were almost fire in the town and at the places without fire all were pressed and fallen completely. I was looking at a fearful spectacle like hell all the time. I approached the familiar Miyuki bridge soon. The Shudo middle school was near the bridge.

The school was located in the place of about 2500m from the center of then explosion. I wanted to make sure of how the school was and then went to the school yard. But I could find nobody there. Although only one school building made of reinforced concrete remained, the school buildings made of wood were all crushed. There was no crying of cicadae which were usually crying noisily, but the school was quite quiet. I was able to hear no sound. It was uncanny silence.

It seemed to me that I experienced a momentary occurrence, but it was already 3:00 in the afternoon. Only the clock of the school building of the steel rod, though I thought it had stopped, minced the time calmly.

After for a long time darkness continued, it became bright at last. And the sunlight of midsummer was returning. The sand of the playground shone in strong sunlight and looked to me like the whiteness of dazzling. Although I used to see the schoolyard, I felt that I was standing on the completely different unknown place.

I went to the place around where my classroom was. The big beam fell down and I found a pupil was crushed between the desks. I was surprised and returned there. Though the pupil seemed to be already dead under the beam, I felt fear and I could not go close to him.

Later, it turned out that the dead pupil was called Mr. Hosokawa who came to school for study at that day. Only his class was open for study.
Other pupils entered under the desk at the moment of coming of the big noise of the A-bomb, then they were safe.

I crossed the bridge over the Motoyasu river. The next was the Ohta river ( called the Hon river). Since the bridge over the Ohta river was wooden, it had been burnt down. Then I tried to walk and cross the river. I found many people who could not move in the river.

(To be continued)