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’
 
~WASHINGTON (UPI) —
President Nixon and Soviet
leader Leonid |. Brezhnev
pledged today to avoid military
confrontations and threats of.
force that might lead to nuclear.
war bet ween their (wo nations.

Ina 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 twe
leaders promised that the
United States and the Soviet
Union ‘‘will act in such a
 manner a8 lo 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 thal 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."

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.
“Kissingér’ said the intént of the

doctrine was ‘‘to prevent the

outbreak of nuclear war.”

The decision of the two
leaders to hold a third summit
conference in as many years
was announced ata lavish
banquet al the Soviet Embassy.
In a jovial atmosphere, Nixon
and Brezhnev dined and toasted
each other after signing pacts
earlier in the day lo speed
nuclear arms negotiations and
cooperate in research on
peaceful uses of nuclear ener-
BY.

Raising their glasses in a red
and gold trimmed banquet
room Thursday night, Nixon
and Brezhnev pledged a con-
tinued effort to expand Soviet:
American friendship.

*.., The Soviet Union's line at
improving relations with the
United States is not some
temporary phenomenon,” the
stocky Brezhnev said. ‘“‘It is a
firm and consistent line reflect.
ing the permanent principles ol
Soviet foreign policy ... It is a
line (hat rests on the full support
of our people."

Nixon replied he hoped the
third summit meeting could be
held next June.
 