Shelby, N. C., Aug. 28.--Eight per-
ecns were killed, 15 injured and an
undetermined number are m
in the collapse of the First Nati
bank building during a rush hour
today,

The death toll may rise as three
hours after the crash workmen had
been able to clear away the debris
only at the edge of the building, |
The known dead: '
| Miss Ora Ehtridge, secretary to
the bank president; Guy Green,
bank clerk: Alex Boyd, bank clerk;
Deb Blanton, a farmer; Carl Blans
ton, his son; an unidentified
man and two other men,

Death Toll May Mount
Police estimated the death toll
would mount steadily as rescue
crews dug deeper into the debris in
the search of bodies. :

No accurate check up could be
made of the missing persons, butdt
was known that a dozen or more
had not been accounted for,
| Barly this afternoon the crews
‘had searched only the edges of the
‘huge pile of debris, and it was feare
ed many more bodies would be
, found toward the center,

Workmen Feared Killed
| It was feared that a crew of 17
/negroes who were working in the
center of the building were all killed.
‘The reseue crews had not been able
jas yet to get to the place where the
jnegroes were working
| It was known that 15 persons were
‘injured, several of whom may die.
They were all taken to a ~~
lhere as they were extradicated
Sage fallen structure.
: avation work at a

buil iiding = L genes uy =
the cause of the collapse of mo Ps
building. Tt was known that several
persons were in @ grocery and a
tailor shop which were a part of the
building, but it was expected to be
hours before that part of the strue-
ture could be searched thoroughly,
; dmoniessbaasil
; Shelby, N.C, Aug. 28—An un-

determined number of persons were
‘entombed, four were known to have

been killed and 15 were injured
| when the First National Bank build-
> img here collapsed today,
.| While no accurate estimate could
| be made of the number of dead a
few minutes after the crash, four
| bodies were recovered from the de-
» bris. They were unr
., Several were injured and were re.
: (Continued on Page 4)

 
 
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’
 