Fallen pioneer of the atomic age
The Westinghouse Atom Smasher was a 5 Megavolt Van de Graaff electrostatic nuclear accelerator built and operated by the Westinghouse Electric Corporation at its Research Laboratories in Forest Hills.
The Westinghouse Atom Smasher was a 5 MegavoltVan de Graaffelectrostatic nuclear accelerator built and operated by the Westinghouse Electric Corporation at its Research Laboratories in Forest Hills. Built in 1937, the pear-shaped tower stood 65 feet high.The first industrial sized Van de Graaff generator in the world, it marked the beginning of nuclear research for civilian applications. Instrumental in the development of practical applications for nuclear science in the generation of electric power, its was used in 1940 to discover the fission of the elements Uranium and Thorium.The tower was last used in 1958 and in 1985 was designated as a milestone by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.In 2012, the property surrounding the atom smasher was purchased by P&L Investments, which initially expressed an interest in saving it. In 2013, the Young Preservationists of Pittsburgh named it as one of the city’s top 10 preservation opportunities. But three years later, the structure was in significant disrepair. After workers laid bricks to brace the fall, the supports were removed and it was tipped over.Despite that setback, an effort continues to try and "Save the Bulb."