Rud took his station in the engine room and remained at his post amidst scalding steam and the rushing of thousands of tons of water into his department, receiving serious burns from which he immediately died.

[1]While making steam to get underway from harbor in the Dominican Republic, the Memphis was struck broadside by numerous storm waves from an off shore hurricane.

CMM Rud helped secure the boilers as the keel of the ship was bent by the force of the waves, resulting in the propeller shaft seizing.

Without the action by CMM Rud and Lt Claud Ashton Jones, the boilers may have exploded causing the total loss of the ship.

Machinist Charles H. Willey who was in the engine room manning his station until ordered to leave, helped remove Rud and Ashton from the steam saturated atmosphere.