Dozen Persons Unaccounted for—Fear Many More
Bodies Will Be Found in Ruins—Believe 17
Negroes Working in Center of Building were
All Killed-——Several of Injured
Eynected tran Me,
  

Oo

SHELBY, N. C., Aug. 28.—(INS) —Collapse of the
First National Bank building here during a rush business
hour this morning claimed an undertermined number of
dead and injured.

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

Police estimated the death toll would mount steadily
ag rescue crews dug deeper into the debris in search of
bodies.

No accurate check-up could be made of the missing
persons, but 1b 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, secretary to the bank president.

Guy, Green, bank clerk.

Alex Boyd, bank clerk.

Deb Blanton, a farmer who was in the bank.

Carl Blanton, his son.

Aw nnidentifiead man
 It was feared that a crew of seven-
teen negroes who were working In the
center of the building were ail Filled
The rescue crews had not heen able
TO get to the place where the negroes
were working at an early hour this
afternoon

It was known that fifteen persons
were injured, several} of whom were
expected to die They were all tak-
en to a hospital here as they were
dragged from the fallen structure

Excavation work at a nearby bulld~
ing was generally assigned as the
cause of the collapse of the bank
puilding It was known that several
persons were in a grocery store and a
tailor's shop which were a part of
the building, but it was expected to
be nours before that part of the
Structure could be searched thorough-
jy

The collapse occurred during a
Tush hour on this little town's main
thoroughfare, and it was beheved
that several persons in the street be-
low were trapped under the ze-
ecunding deluge of stone and timber

The entire fire and police forces
of Shelby, referred to as ‘the sum-
mer capital of North Carolina," were
taaed to the fullest in controlling
the crowds which gathered around
the scene of disaster

Many volunteers aided in the res~
eve onerstions _
 
WASHINGTON (UPI) —

President Nixon and_ Soviet
leader Leonid I. Brezhnev
pledged today to avoid military
confrontations and threats of
force that might lead to nuclear
war between their two nations.
- In a policy declaration, the
leaders of the two nuclear
‘superpowers agreed to “‘im-
mediately enter into’ urgent
consultations with each other”
should the risk of a_ nuclear
conflict arise.

Nixon and Brezhnev signed
the agreement —the eighth
since the start of their summit
talks —in a ceremony in the
East Room of the White House
a few hours’. before their
scheduled departure aboard the
presidential jetliner for San
Clemente, Calif., for the conclu-
sion of their week-long con-
ference.

In the agreement, the iia
leaders promised that the,
United States and the Soviet
Union ‘‘will act in such a
manner as to prevent the
development of situations capa-|
ble of causing a dangerous
exacerbation of their relations,
as to avoid military confronta-
tions, and to exclude the)
outbreak of nuclear war be-
tween them and between either
of the parties and other)
countries.” |

The accord also calls for the:
signatories to proceed from the|
premise that each will refrain:
‘from the threat or use of force,
against the other party, against
the allies of the other party,
and against other countries, in|
circumstances which may en-
 danger international peace and
security.”
Briefs Leaders

In advance of the signing,
Nixon briefed congressional
leaders of both parties on the
declaration, which is a _ state-
ment of policy — not a treaty —
and therefore does not require
Senate ratification.

Presidential adviser Henry A.
Kissinger said the intent of the
doctrine was “to prevent the
outbreak of nuclear war.”’

A decision of the’ two
leaders to hold a third summit
conference in aS many years
Was announced at a_ lavish
banquet at the Soviet Embassy.
In a jovial atmosphere, Nixon
 ‘and Brezhnev dined and toasted
each other after signing pacts
;earlier in the day to speed
‘nuclear arms negotiations and
‘cooperate in research on
peaceful uses of nuclear ener-
gy.

| Before they boarded _ the
‘Spirit of 76” for a late
afternoon flight to the Western
White House, Brezhnev _§ar-
ranged to meet with 4
‘American businessmen to sell
‘them on expanded trade with
Russia.

_ Raising their glasses in a red
and gold trimmed _ banquet
‘rocm ‘Thursday night, Nixon
and Brezhnev pledged a con-

“€ ontinued on | Page $ Six)
 