The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1907-07-24
\ BOOMERANG EXPERT.
At Least This is What a Washington
Man Claims to Be.

George Clarvoe OF Washington has
become expert in the use Of the Aus
tralian boomerang, can hurl it indeed
with dexterity that would make him
chief from Booloomooloo to Botany
bay.
He is an expert instrument maker
in the Coast and Geodetic survey.
When some years ago al Englishman.
who had been around the bush with
the wild Australians a spell, came to
Washington and gave an exhibition Of
boomerang throwing, Mr.. Clarvoe's
interest in the construction and cast
ing Of this strange weapon was arous-
ed.
He looked at the things dying and
soaring through the air like birds
wooden birds, as they were. Then he
looked at the half dozen hanging on
the arm of the Englishman-and that
was enough for Mr.. Clarvoe. He went
home and fashioned him near
boomerang.
It didn't fly, but it f1uttered some,
and made noise like real boom
erang. That was encouraging; he
tried again, varying slants, curve
and dimensions, and at last reached
the point where the fawless boone
rang was built. Then Mr.. Clarvoe ad-
dressed himself to casting il.
cit is much like learning to ride
bicycle" said he. cit would always
go just where I didn't aim it,
But by degrees he attained that ex-
pertness which has enabled him to RI
val and even surpass the black in
venters CT the warlike wood.
The weapon is about 20 inches long
over all, having a sharp bend in the
middle like the crook of an elbow. In
shape it much resembles the arm OF
a man just at that stage Of the con-
vivial proceedings when he says:
Here's at you"
1t is about two inches wide and
about three-eights of an inch thick in
the middle, the bottom side fiat, the
top bevelled down to the edges. The
! two arms or branches are not in the
same plane b1t are slanted away at
an angle of two degrees. 1t weighs
about pound.
In castiag rhe boomerang the throw
er grasps it firmly by one end. the
other enc projecting up and out in
front OF h;r2 1auJi like the warning
arm of a railway sieuaphore. The hand
is then funs, aacE over the shoulder
and brought toward perpendicularly,
the boomecang being hurled at full
arms length.
Just as it ,oaTes the grasp the hand
is snapped back with jerk, as boy
snaps back hoop to make it return.
This in.parts a rotary motion to the
thing, and right there is the milk in
the cocoanut. the secret Of the boom
erang's bewildering fight.
Away it goes whirling through the
air. tumbling; heels over head. for
distance Of 100 to 200 feet, never va
rying in it's height from the ground.
Then, just as one thinks it falling to
the ground, as by all the statutes OF
civilized things it ought to do, he sees
it hesitate a moment as though con-
sidering what to do next, turn on its
side, and with few preliminary
whirls (Which have now become hor-
izontaD go gently sailing away to
the left, sailing away and up back.
for the astonishing affair, instead OF
continuing forward or falling, defes
all the laws of gravitation and Its
altogether by contraries.
In a wide semi-circle it sweeps,
soaring into the air and reaching its
greatest elevation when half way
home. Thence it comes whirring and
whirling back to the thrower, its ro-
tary motion apparently increasing as
it nears the ground at his feet-some
times at his feet, oftentimes at the
head of Ian innocent bystander.
GA friend Of mine who goes to
thinking about something else" said
Mr.. Clarvoe, ''once nursed a goose
egg on the back Of his head for
week. It is the rotary motion that
makes the boomerang dangerous
weapon.
~ he swiftly whirling arm strikes
powerful blow. and with it's soaring
backward sweep it can fish man out
from behind rock or tree without
difficulty. That is, for the thrower.
1t is the realization Of that mythical
rife with the curve in the barrel that
could hit a deer around mountain
side.
.sThe cant, or variation of the arm
from the same plane, is. l think, the
cause Of the continued rotary motion
and the key to the boomerangs
strange fight. 1t was in getting TINS
exact that had the most trouble.
"When the boomerang at the emu
of its forward fight halts and turns
on its side the rotary or spinng mo-
ton acts like screw on the air, caus-
ing it to worm its way upward and
backward. Do you see it?'