Los Angeles herald., 1906-09-16
LOS ANGELES UNLUCKIEST BOY
In VENTURAWRECK, OF COURSE

sill was injured many times but none Of
the mishaps ever disabled him and he Is
today q prominent member OF the Los
Angeles Athletic club
Frand Rudlsilrs inventive genius, in
herited from HIS father, caused him to
be restless, to his cost He has an in
vestigating spirit, hard to subdue.
Roller Skates Fall
About two months ago he was injured
while dong fancy stunts on roller
He recovered. and then accidentally
jumped on a spike and drove IL through
his foot. Tetanus, thought the doc
tors as they looked at the injured boy
Rudisill grinned and his foot healed
ana he went forth seeking new worlds
to conquer.
He promptly found excitement when
he got too close to restlve horse. The
horse attempted to shy stumbled and
fell on the lad, causing internal In
turies. For a second time Frank went
to bed, grinning over the mishap. He
tossed about for several days, laughed
at the doctors and their terrifying
theories and then got up.
"A most remarkable cure, said the
physicians, looking wise.
With the grim hand Of i'll luck close
| by him. young Rudislll went over TO a
neighbor's home on Euclid avenue. The
son of the neighbor was experimenting
with an engine and a tank of gas. The
elder Rudlsill used the tank for assay
ing purposes, but the boys managed to
arrange scheme to perfect some of
their plans.
Up Goes the Tank
They secured a can Of carbide and a
quart of water and were putting their
inventive genius to the test before ex-
amining the tank and forgot to see
whether there was any air in the tank.
incidentally 81 per cent air and per
cent acetyle gas makes a dangerous eX-
plosive. 1t required about an eighth
of a second for the explosion to occur
and then tie neighbors rushed In
A hole had been blown through the
foundation of the house and pieces of
the mutilated tank were found all over
the neighborhood. Franks companion
had escaped. But young Rudisill had
been in the way.
When the rescuers found him he was
a mass of cuts, abrasians and bruises,
and it was thought his eyes would be
ruined, but he escaped.
In the meantime some of his relatives
went north. AS soon as he recovered
he hurried north to meet them. They
started to return and by some accident
Frank Rudisill became separated from
the rest and he boarded the ill fated
first section.
Over a Cliff
He was enjoying the scenery along
the sea cliff last Monday morning when
the engine, going at rate of flfty-five
miles an hour, hunted soft spot, left
the track and switched the three last
passenger coaches with Frank Rudisill
on board over the edge of the cliff to
the beach, fifty feet below.
The rescuers lifted limp figure from
the debris. 1t was the body of youth
and the clothing was torn and the gar
ments soaked with blood. but pair of
unusually bright eyes smiled out on the
men.
They sent him to the Sisters hospital
and the doctors looked grave. Several
ribs were gone, Internal injuries,
wrenched back and crushed chest. A
small list of injuries for a fourteen
year-old boy, but it was enough to keep
Frank in bed and out of harms way
for a while.
Now he is recovering and his only
answer to the queries of friends is:
Feeling fine. Oh, I'll be out pretty
soon."