nine o'clock
Not a soul , including both instructors and students , knew the special work he had been doing . Among the great number of special and changing experiments going on in the shop it had not been difficult to keep his discovery to himself . He chose a night when a great social event was occurring in hopes that he might have the shop to himself . There were a few enthusiastic specialists who did considerable night work , but on this particular evening they went out early and by nine o'clock he found himself alone . The power which lighted the town of Burrton was the same as that in use at the school and was in operation day and night . The conditions seemed absolutely favorable to a test of his invention , and by ten o'clock Walter had made all connections and brought his electrodes into position . The only question with him was whether the heat of the arc would melt the soft metal teeth at the right time and with even regularity .