Evening star., 1935-11-10
Carlands of Snow
Rare Phenomena
BY Frederic ]. Haskin.


has arrived over some sections of the
country, when the fascinating sport of
hunting for snow garlapds may be en-
gagged in. The hunter who finds q snow
garland will gain some little fame and,
should he obtain a photograph of 1t,
that photograph will be more rare than
any camera picture obtained by Mr.. and
Mrs. Martin Johnson.
The snow garland is among the rarest
OF natural phenomena Even w. j.
Humphreys, one of the outstanding
authorities of the United States Weather
Bureau, says they are found only ''once
In blue moon
A snow garland is formation of heavy
snow which has laid along some resting
place such as the limb of tree, fence,
or window sill, and then fallen from
its place in the middle, but retained its
hold at either end. The snow in some
miraculous manner clingS together and
the portion between the two ends hangs
down in a sort of festoon or garland. So
rare are these curious and beautiful
manifestations that DR.. Humphreys has
official records of only four in nearly
half century.
The earliest snow garland of which DR..
Humphreys has a record was reported
by the German scientist Hellman in the
last week of February, 1889 He observed
it hanging from a tree in the famous
Tiergarten in Berlin 1t was Hellman
who gave the manifestation the name
of snow garland. Unfortunately no
photograph was obtained.
Indeed, it was not until February /,
1907, that the first photograph of a snow
garland was taken. On that date DR..
Carl KaSSner observed a snow garland
hanging from a we'll coping or ledge in
Berlin. 1t has been a full decade since
the last snow garland was observed,
photographed and reported. On January
81, 1925, S. Ohti observed at the Central
Meteorological Observatory in Toxic,
Japan. and photographed several times
a perfect snow garland. The portion
which hung in suspension from the top
of fence was 43 inches long.
What makes the hunting in the United
States so fascinating is that there ap-
pears to be but one recorded observation
and photograph. Some time ago. E. P.
Gibson, assistant city engineer Of East
Grand Rapids, Mich, photographed a
particularly remarkable specimen. 1t
is especially interesting because of the
free clearance of the festoon. The gar
land hanging from the Tiergarten tree
limb in Berlin swung free. but others
were seemingly, from the photographs,
touching the walls. 1t is conceivable that
there might be some clinging effect in
these cases, but Mr.. Gibsons photograph
shows his garland swinging from sort
of scaffolding in air, wholly unsupported.
His own description gives an idea OF
what the phenomenon looked like.
The snow rope" he SAYS, was in
suspension from two points on the railing
slightly over 3 feet apart. The festoon
was to 8 inches thick in the center,
thinning at the points of suspension
Mr.. Gibson further says that during the
two days the garland hung in place
the temperature remained fairly even,
but around the melting point, moving
alternately just above and just below
freezing.
Commenting on this strange freak, DR..
Humphreys says: Such are the facts
of observation. But what is the explana-
ton of this holding of snow crystal to
snow crystal In continuous suspension
Nothing, We are told, is more impossible
than making a rope of sand and yet
of ice sand, that is, of snow crystals.
Nature makes suspension bridges, or
garlands. if we prefer art to engineering.
How does she do it?"
At first the theory was advanced that
these snow garlands might be explained
by the interlocking of the points of snow
cta1 Mnct YNoOYN1n 6ouo vaY11if1a a6
snow flakes under magnifying glasses Or
have at least seen photographs Of the
crystals. They are cast in the most
amazing and beautiful geometrlc pat
terms and precisely refute the oft-re-
peated statement that Nature abhorS a
straight line. For frequently, in fact,
usually, the crystals assume geometric
forms with sharp points and many
straight lines. So it was thought that,
under special conditions. these sharp
pointed crystals might become hooked
together in such a manner as to make
suspension Of long series-millions of
crystals in the ggregate-possible.
This theory falls to the ground, how
ever, upon closer examination. Snow
garlands are never formed in very cold
weather or by freshly fallen snow. Such
snow is hard and dry and in its most
perfect crystalline form. 1t is only
when snow has begun to melt and is
soggy and heavy that the garlands are
made. In that condition the points of
the crystals have been rounded off. 1t
is necessary to find another explanation.
The best theory which has been adj
vanced so far in the opinion of DR..
Humphreys is that the garlands are
suspended through operation of ten
sion caused by water film. Being wet
from partial thawing, the snow par
ticles are strongly drawn together by this
surface tension and thus, in DR..
Humphreys words, through film and
flake the whole garland is tenaciously
held together from end to end"
1t is a safe conclusion that each VIM
ter sees the formation of many snow
garlands, but it is rare indeed that they
are observed or, if observed, are seen
by one who knows of their rarity. They
occur, it seems only under the special
condition of a temperature lowering
around the freezing point. A breath of
wind may cause them TO collapse and
a continued rise in the temperature
would mean the falling apart OF the
garland because of excessive melting.
On the other hand, sharp drop in
temperature would freeze the garland
in place and almost hard. Under such
circumstances it might be possible to
detach it and hang it around ones neck
like an Hawaiian lei. Then, Of course.
q O