Original Message:

From: Justine (paysonsjlow@msn.com)
Date: 10/26/2008

My Mother has told me a story about an explosion that took
place in the 1950's in Brooklyn.  Maybe an oil rig?  Does
anyone remember this?

It was a empty oil or natural gas tank that was having some
maintenance work performed on it. The Tank was located down
by the docks  I was in the Caton School that afternoon, many
miles from the blast the whole building shook and it
shattered a first floor office window at the school.
Everyone ran outside there was a large column of thick black
smoke that we all could see rising into the sky. The workmen
were all killed, and as I remember there was one other
fatality, a very unlucky kid that was riding his bicycle
along side the tank when it exploded. The force of the
explosion took the poor kids head off. There was a picture
the next day in The Daily News of the kids bike laying
twisted in the street

Does anyone know a rough date as to when this happened? My uncle was there and
was blown through a 
plate glass window, then went on to save to other men. 
I'm trying to find out more info in this. 
I contacted the Brooklyn Eagle in hopes that they have the archives from the
original Eagle available.