Sunlight Cut to Tenth By Boston Coal Smoke

Smoke clouds over downtown Boston often cut the amount of sunshine to one-tenth that in suburban districts, Charles F. Brooks, director of Harvard's Blue Hills weather station, revealed today in his annual report.

The increased use of soft coal in Boston last winter was blamed for the reduced visibility of the city from the Blue Hills observatory, Brooks said. In order to study the effect of city smoke on sunshine, pyrheliometers have been installed in Boston, he added.

Other weather stations operated by Harvard have been doing research on atmospheric electricity.