Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1906-11-28

Washington, D. c., has organized

the urSC boomerang cluD LII lie
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 sec
ton of the city, and since that time
have been busy with their novel
sport. They are rapidly becoming
expert in the use Of this remarkable
weapon, and there is no roason why
the sport should not BE- adopted i'll
! other sections Of the country.
For many years it was generally
believed that the stories of travellers
regarding the performances OF this
remarkable Wearon were made OF
whole cloth assisted BY a vivid mag
i%nation, but recently acquired knoWl-
edge has shown that it will do all
that has been claimed for it. Con-
siderable areas Of territory ere neces-
sary for the proper manipulation OF
the boomerang, and great care should
be taken by the ncoDhyte until its
peculiar flights are understood.
In its flight the boomerang seems
to defy al known laws Of pIojectiIes,
and in the hands of an expert beauti-
full evolutions may be obtained from
1t. No one blt the thrOWar ever
knows where a boomerang after Ieav-
ing the hand will fall, bur he can caI-
culate to 4 nicely, the Australians
manipulating them so we'll that they
frequently catch them or their return
after g flight chat would seem incred-
ible ii it were not messed The
boomerang will perform feats that
! are little short OF miraculous, and al
though science has as vet failed to
explain thoroughly the reasons for
these peculiaTities, it is understood
that they are the result Of q comhina-
ton Of the form OF the weapon and
the resistance OF the air.
This primitive weapon is made OF
4 piece OF wood about tWenty-six
inches in length by two and one-half
in width and one-third of an inch in
its greatest thickness. Thc wood is
steamed and bent to an angle OF
about 40 degrees, the inner edge be-
ing almost knifeIike in it's sharpness,
the outer more rounded. The finished
article looks not unlike an ordinary
sickle, and is thrown by graSpinS one
end with the hand, holding the con-
vex side furthest from the body and
projecting it straight away on q hori-
zontal plane. Ash has been found to
be the wood best adapted to the maxi
ing of boomerangs, because of it's
toughness and correct specific gray
tty.
Any boy having access to a carpen-
ser's shop and possessing q lnowl-
edge Of a few simple tools can make
ais bOOmerangs; in fact, they can be
made with nothing but the wood, a
~spokeshave and a piece Of sandpaper,
but the original piece Of wood should
oe secured from a turning mill. be-
cause of the better facilities at those
places for steaming and bending it to
the correct shape for the final
touches.
Let the wood be three inches in
width, one-half inch in thickness and
.wenty-six inches in fen 9Th, having
an angle OF from 100 to 40 degrees.
The crude weapon before steaming
must be twisted from left to right SO
that the outer edge of each half will
barely project beyond the inner
edges. With this as a Foundation the
carpenter must shave the wood SO
hat the inner edge. will be quite
sharp and the outer but little less so,
he sides bullying SO thai the greatest
thickness is not quite half an inch.
On the end which is intended to be
grasDed by the hand in throwing
there may be made q few ridges so as
TO permit OF a firm hold. Take this
weapon into 4 large field and see
what may be done with it. II there
are trees so much the bctter for the
beauty Of the evolutions. Take a
stand fifty yards from a tree, and
throw the boomerang as: hard as YOU
can at the trunk and exactly as you
would a baseball, always remember
ing to hold the convex side outward
and the tip perpendiucl2rly with the
handle. Aim directly at the tree and
see what happens.
Ii IL DSclllSl I'll udo C;Sti iDdIt9
correctly it will go toward the tree
with the speed Of a bullet, but before
reaching it will sail 10 the left, rise
in the air, and execute a beautiful
circle to the right, returning to with
in a few feet OF the throwor. This is
the action of the right hand boomer
ang, but they are also made for LETT
hand flights, in which case the twist
must be made to the left instead of
the right. BY varying the degrees Of
the angle and the weight of the
weapon as we'll as the twist, many va
riations of flight ma be secured.
For long distance throwing they
should be made quite large, as the
increased weight can be obtained
only in this manner, and weight is
what carries them through the air.
The straightaway throwing with the
weapon first described always results
in one circle from let to right, but
this may be varied by alterations in
the method Of throwing as well as in
tho for0n Will, ,-IiIL 4I,I,, Dro ,,,~