February 23, 1950
Princeton, New Jersey
A photo is published of an atom smasher destroyed in a “mysterious blaze”

The photo’s caption reads “A fireman inspects the damaged to Princeton University’s 18-million volt cyclotron, which helped create the original hydrogen bomb, after it was damaged in a mysterious blaze.”

According to the Los Angeles Times (Feb. 23, 1950), the fire destroyer the atom smasher on February 22. The fire consumed the machine so thoroughly only its magnets could be saved.