Shelby, N. C., Aug. 28.—
Collapse of the First Nation-
al Bank building here dur-
ing a rush business hour
this morning claimed an un-
determined number of dead
and injured.

At 12:45 this afternoon,
when excavation operations
had been under way only
three hours, a check up re-
vealed six known dead, 15
known injured, and a num-
ber of persons missing.

 
  

   
     

Police estimated the death
toll would mount steadily

as rescue
bodies.

No accurate check up
could be made of the miss-
ing persons, but it was
known that a dozen or more
had not been accounted for.

Early this afternoon the
crews had searched only
the edges of the huge pile
of debris, and it was feared
many more bodies would be
found toward the center.

The known dead:

Miss Ora Ethridge, secre-
tary to the bank president.
Guy Green, bank clerk.
Alex Boyd, bank clerk.

Zeb Bianton, a _ farmer,
who wag in the bank.

Carl Blanton, his son.

An unidentified white
man.

It was feared that a crew
of 17 negroes who were
working in the center of the
building were all killed. The
rescue crews had not been
able to get to the place
where the negroes were
working at an early hour
this afternoon.

It was knwwn that 15 per-
sons were injured, several
of whom were expected to
die. They were all taken
to a hospital here as they
were dragged from the fall-
en structure. |

Excavation work at a
nearby building was gener-
ally assigned as the cause of |
the collapse of the bank-
building. It wag known that
several persons were in a
grocery store and a tailor’s:
shop which were a part of
the building, but it was ex-
ected to be hours before
hat part of the structure
could be searched thorough-

y. |
_ The collapse occurred dur-
ing a rush hour on this lit-
tle town’s main thorough-
fare, and it was believed
that several persons in the’
street below were trapped
under the resounding deluge
of stone and timber.

The entire fire and police
forces of Shelby, referred
to as “The Summer Capital
of North Carolina,” were
taxed to the fullest in con-
trolling the crowds which
gathered around the scene
of disaster.

Many volunteers aided in,
arse operations.
e building was located
in a busy district, and was'
one of the largest in the’
 
 

(INS) — Six persons were
killed, 15 injured and an un-
determined nuruber are mizsing
in the collapse of the First Na-
tional bank building during a
rush hour today, The death tolt
may rise as three hours after
the crash workmen had been
able to clear away the debris
only at the edge of the build-
ing.
e . e
SHELBY, N. C., Aug. 28—(AP)
—Four peopis were known to
have been killed and an unde-
termined number fnjured here te-
ay when three buildings in the
business district collapsed. The
dead are: Miss Gra Eskridge, a
clerk in the First National bank;

one unidentified white man and

two unidentified negroes.

| The buildings that collapsed

were ths First National bank, in
temporary, quarters; Goodes grec-
ery store. aid &, tailér. shop” No
cause for the collapae wat given
witho workmen were said to have
been excavating under, the buiid-
Me. : My

George Blanton, acting vice
[president of the bank, escaped
with «minor injuries, as did“ For-
est Eskridge, cashier. Ciarencs
Mull, assistant cashier, was sert-
ously injured.

"Two other clerks were sald to
have been buried in the debris.
The proprietor cf the tallor shep
was missing and was reported to
have been buried in the ruins ot
his shop.

Four bank clerks were unac-
counted for but {t was thought
‘| possible. that they were in the
| crowds about the scene. A physt-
cian climbed thru dangerous orer-
| banging walls to treat 2 woniad

bank clerk who was pinned under
twisted steel and brick. a
‘ ‘Tle two dead negroee were
members of the excavating crew
‘at work under the buildings
Others of the crew are missing.

Construction gangs from al
parts of the city were workin
desperately to clear the wreckag:
and extricate those who may atil
be allve. Physiclans from all cit:
hoenitals were called.

 
  
  
 
  
 
 
 
   
   
   
 