about one o'clock in the morning
The station had been without operators for three days , and was bitterly cold . We soon had a big fire started in the telegraph room , and were sitting beside it , discussing the loneliness of the place and the wildness of the night . While we were talking , the busy little telegraph instrument began busily ticking for our station . The call was answered and a message received , saying that a weather report received by the dispatcher stated that the night would likely be stormy , and my friend was asked to stay up till about one o'clock in the morning , as he might be needed to take a crossing order for two trains at his station . We did not mind staying up , and whiled away the hours in pleasant conversation as we sat as near as we could get to the glowing coal fire . The storm increased and finally settled down into a blizzard . By midnight it was something appalling .