The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-01-25

right texture for this Arctic architecture.
The general impression of the A Ectic shows
il that they are OF unfathomable and tre-
mendous depth, and that beyond this they
differ but little from the puny falls of
snow we nave among US, especlallv Of the
northernmoSt states. Both these ideas are
errors. l seriously doubt if the annual fall
of snow on our continent noith of the
Arctic circle will averaged as deep
rs that which falls in the countries
south of that line and probably a
good long ways south at that, while the
greatest difference between the snow we
throw at some other boy and that thrown
br an Eskimo at a refractory dog is in tina
consistency Of the two. The snow of the
mldwinter Arctic is no moro like that we
generally ses than q brick is like a handful
of clay, or ice is like water, though both
ara the same substances. The peculiar
hard consistency of the arctic snow is due,
according to Eskimo authority. to
two reasons-the packing power of the
polar gales. and the action OF the e1-
tFemely low temperatures of that region.
at least both of these conditions will have
to be fulfilled before these Arctic archi-
tects will use the fall snows for building
their winter homes of that material. or to
put it palmer, fully forty degrees below zaro
must have been reached, and Il number Of
fierce gales must have packed down the
autumn snow before it is of the proper
consistency to be put into the curious
blocks of huge bricks Of snow with which
they make their srow houses (igloos of the
EsEimo). looking SO much like the old
fashioned pictures Of bce-hiyes, with their
oblate shape.
Their skin tents are altogether too cold
to live comfortably in long before tney
build their SNOW houses, and the Arctic car
pentsr 10 DRIVEN to another curious mater
lal for building to keep out tho bitter cold,
and that Is the pure ice from the many
fresh-water lakes with which their country
abounds. When the ice is about half n
foot thick they cut OUT slabs about the size
of q house door, put them upright on their
ends. Joining them edge to edge, and max
ing q circular little pen, and over this for u
roof they lash tho summsr skin tent. These
houses are as Transparent as glass. and
when finished one can look through and see
what his or her neighbor is about without
the trouble of getting down on his hand;
and knees and crawling in the low entrance
to find oat.
The house of ice, while warmer than a
skin tent, will not compare with one oil
snow for comfort. and as soon as this ma.
terial liz OF proper texture an igloo, or snow
house, il constructed, IL you take III egg
and cut it in two in the middle and put ths
two shella rims down, you have a pooe
miniature representation of a couple Of Els
kimo now houses. The fuller shell viii
represent an igloo during the coldes
weather, when the snnow is frozea hard. m,
IL can BIO fiat on top without danger OF fallin.
in. The pointed she'll will represent a,
igloo built in the early fall OF late spring
The borGal builder, with himself an a cen
ter. and his extended arm and hand grasp
ing the snov-knife, draws a circle on TIA
anow of a diameter of from eight to lively
feet, according to the intended number o
the OCCUPANT OF tho house. This circl
indicates where tue base course of gno,
blocks is to rest as soon ag they are Gu
from some ~neighboring snow drift. Thes
snow blocks are about the size of a .arg
pillow. bat, Of course. squared, and weig
About twelve to fifteen pounds