about nine o'clock
The old man pushed his satchel aside , pulled his chair closer to the table , cleared his throat , and began : -- `` It was May 13 , 1859 . I 'd been out in the country at my son 's , and was riding into the city in the evening . I was in the smoking-car . Along about nine o'clock there was a sudden jerk , then half a dozen more jerks , and the train came to a dead stop . I got up and went out with the rest , and we then saw that the bridge had broken down , and the three cars behind the smoker had tumbled into the creek . I hurried down the bank and did what I could to help those in the wreck , but it was very dark and the cars were piled up in a heap , and it was hard to do anything . Then the fire broke out and we had to stand back .