seven o'clock
The wireless refused to work for nearly eight hours , and it was still recalcitrant when he went off duty at seven o'clock . He had not felt the quivering of the earth round Washington , and being an unimaginative man he accepted the other facts of the situation philosophically . The statics would pass , and then Georgetown would be in communication with the rest of the world again , that was all . At seven o'clock the night shift came in , and Hood borrowed a pipeful of tobacco from him and put on his coat . `` Say , Bill , did you feel the shock ? '' asked the shift , hanging up his hat and taking a match from Hood . `` No , '' answered the latter , `` but the statics have put the machine on the blink .