two o'clock in the
morning
Sick persons , seized with a terrible oppression of the chest , gasped , and never rose from their beds . At every window , and in every doorway , throughout the vast city , invisible heads and forms were crowded , making their presence known by their voices -- distracted householders striving to peer through the strange darkness , and to find out the cause of these terrifying phenomena . Some managed to get a faint glimpse of their watches by holding them close against lamps , and thus noted the time . It was two o'clock in the morning . Neighbors , unseen , called to one another , but got little comfort from the replies . `` What is it ? In God 's name , what has happened ? ''