The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-10-04
THE BOOMERANG.

Washington, D. C., has organlzeu the first boomering club in the United
 States, perhaps in the world. A short time ago a few gentlemen connected
 with the Department of Agriculture
 formed an association for the study
 and use of this peculiar weapon They secured a large tract of open land in
 the northwestern section of the city,
 and since that time have been busy
 with their novel sport. They are rapid
 ly becoming expert in the use of this
 remarkable weapon, and there is no
 reason why the sport should not be
 adopted in other sections of the coun-
 rty.
 For many years it was generally
 believed that the stories of travellers
 regarding the performance of this re-
 markabe weapon were made of whole
 cloth assisted by a vivid imagauon,
 but recently acquired knowledge has
 shown that it will do all that has been
 claimed for it. Considerable areas of
 territory are necessary for the proper
 manipulation of the boomering, and great care should be taken by the neo-
 phyte until it's peculiar flights are un-
 derstood. Boomerangs are far from
 being toys, but are extremely danger ous weapons in the hands of mex
 perenced throwers, the novice never l, knowing where they will alight
 , Tn it's flight the boomerang seems to
 defy all known laws of projectiles, and
 in the hands of an expert beautiful
 evolutions may be obtained from 1t. Nh l one but the thrower ever knows wheer : boomerang after leaving hand will , fall. but he can calculate to nicety the Australians manipulating them go ; well that they frequently catch them {; on their return after a fight that would ;, seem incredible if 1t were not witnessed The boomerang will perform feats that , are little short of miraculous, and al 9 though science has yet failed to explain !, thoroughly the reasons for these pecu- ) liaritles, 1t fs understood that they are ' the result of a combination of the form t of the weapon and the resistance of { the air.
 l This primitive weapon is made of a o piece of wo3d about twenty-sX inches r in length by two and one-half in width n and third of an inch in its greatest a thickness. The wood is steamed and : bent to an angle 0f about TAO degrees,
 the inner edge being almost knfelike r in it's sharpness, the outer more round- f ed The finished article looks not un- r like an ordinary sickle, and is thrown h by grasping one end with the hand s holding the convex side furthest from e the body and projecting il straight n away on a horizontal plane. Ash has V been found to be the wood best adapt : ed to the making of boomerangs, be- y cause Of it's toughness and correct e specific gravity.
 - Any boy having access to a ear
 penter's shop and possessing know e ledge of few simple tools can make r his boomerangs; in fact, they can be Is made with nothing but the wood. a '- spokeshave and piece of sandpaper n but the original piece of wsod should i be secured from a turning mill because tt of the better facilities at those places l. for steaming and bending it to the cor E ect shape for the final touches
 l. Let the wood be three inches il l. width one-half inches in thickness anC y, twenty-six inches in length having al It angle of from 12O to f4O degrees Th' le crude weapon before steaming must b,
 twisted from left to right so that tn t. outer edge of each half barely projec d beyond the inner edges With this a' n foundation, the carpenter must shaw >e the wood 50 that the inner edge wil ,d be quite sharp and the outer but littl E. less so, the sides bulging so that tn l- greatest thickness is not quite half al IS inch. On the end which is intended t o. be grasped by the hand in throwin -h there may be made a few ridges so a to to permit of a firm hold. Take th ly weapon into a large field and see wha Id may be done with it. If there are tree n SD much the better for the beauty c a. the evolutions Take a stand fit h. yards from a tree, and throw tn sh boomerang as hard as you can at tn
 trunk and exactly as you would a base f. ball. always remembering to hold tn sy convex side out-handle, Aim directl es at the tree and see what happens. oy If the boomerang has been made cor on rectly it will go toward the tree wit ct the sped of bullet but before reach on ing will sail to the left, rise in the ali es and execute a beautiful circle to tn he right, returnin to within few fee re Of the thrower. This is the action ( h. the right hand boomerang; but the ll- are also made for left hand flights, ] nd which case the twist must be made
 the left instead of the right By vary ix ing the degrees of the angle and tf he we,ght of the weapol as well as tn en Nist many variations of flight may ; r. secured
 a. For long distance throwing the av should be made quite large, as the ir nd creased weight is what carries thel if through the air. The straightawa he throwing with the weapon first de. lst cribed always results in one circle frol ;s- left to right, but this may be varied b n- alternations in the method of throwir Ily as well as in force with which they al on nropeled through the air
 at Experimenting alone vii result