The San Francisco call., 1908-08-27
HAzING IMPAIRS
SIGHT OF YOUTH
Apprentice Seaman at Yerba
Buena Garroted by Young
Rockies"
Rough Handling Which Sends
Him to Hospital Is Desig-
mated as "SkyIarking"

They call it hazing at Annapolis if ii
only amounts to making an embryo
admiral say -sBa" or perform a few
harmless caliSthenics, and the punish
ment provided by the navy regulations
for the young gentlemen who indulge
in the practice is swift and severe. AT
the Yerba Buena naval training station
they call it "skylarking," even if it in
cludes an experiment in the gentle art
of garroting, and deprives the victim
of his eyesight for at least a few
weeks And at Yerba Buena sky
larking'' is not punished.
That hazing in the navy is not con-
fined to Annapolis was made evident
yesterday when 1t became publicly
known that Earl Trey, an apprentice
seaman at the Yerba Buena naval
training station, was still suffering
from the efforts of his shipmates on
August 10 to make his eyes bulge" by
hauling tight a hammock lashing in a
blight of which Irey's neck had been in
serted. The experiment was success.
The victims eyes acquired an appre-
ciable bulge, which increased in in
verse ratio to his ability to breathe.
Suddenly Jimmy Legs" the master at
arms, put in an appearance. The tor
turers fed, leaving their victim to be
released by the ships policeman.
Irey's eyes have returned to their nor
NAL location. but with their power of
sight seriously impaired and they are
still of the carmine hue that goes with
acute conjunctivitis.
The officers of the training station
make light of the affair, which has
been officially dismissed as harmless
skvIarking Trey, if he RECEIVERS the
use of his sight, wants to remain in the
navy.
VICTIM OF ROUGH JESTS
Trey enlisted a few weeks ago at his
home in Oklahoma. He entered the
service full of enthusiasm and patriotic
zeal. He had not been many hours at
the training station before the other
rockies had him picked out as an
easy victim for their rough jests. They
sent him to the executive officer for a
hammock ladder. to the carpenter for
strap oil and to the surgeon for pie
checks
1t was hard on Trey but good fun for
his shipmates, and when somebody
thought out the "eye bulging' expert
ment the selection of Trey as the VIC
tim was natural.
'Hammocks'' had just sounded and
Morpheus was supposed to be in ses-
sion on the Pensacola's berth deck.
Trey. to whom a hammock had not yet
been issued, was sleeping on mat
tress spread on the deck. he was
aroused by somebody placing ham,
mock lashing around his neck
Wen show you something new,
said somebody.
One end of the rope was made fast
to a stanchion. The blight around
Ireys neck was hauled tight and made
fast to q handy rail. Trey, on his
knees. said yesterday that he lost
consciousness and remembers nothing
more until he found himself in the
fresh air on the gun deck, with Mas
ter at Arms Palmer bending over him.
He was taken to the sick bay and is
still under medical care.
CAN NOT SEE TO READ
The Pensacolas surgeon says that
Trey will be all right in a few weeks.
He is able to make his way about
the ship, but can not see to read or
write and the light still hurts his
eyes.
Lieutenant Commander Fewel and
Lieutenant Kurtz investigated the af-
fair and reported to Lieutenant Com
mander E. w. Eberle, commandant of
the station, that Trey had received his
which earlier in the evening he himself
had taken part.
Commander Eberle said yesterday
that no further attention would be
paid to the affair. All of the boys
concerned, he said, were recruits, raw
and untamed- He had satisfied himself
that there was no malicious intent. No
body will be punished, but Jimmy Legs
will see to IL that there is no more
skylarking on the berth deck after
taps has sounded