midnight
By half-past six in the evening it was black as the densest night , the murk only being lighted by the constant flashes of lightning . The air was highly electrified and the wireless was made silent . During the evening the island was shaken by many light earthquake shocks and several people from St. Paul came to take refuge on the _ Bear _ . At midnight a fine dust was falling steadily , but by six bells of the middle watch it had lessened and when the sun rose the next morning , he could be seen as a dull red ball . The air was still full of dust and ash , but the eruption was believed to be over . Early in the morning scores of people came to the ship for drinking-water , many of the streams and wells in the village having been choked . About five inches of ashes had fallen .