a quarter after four
At five minutes after four a coal passer came up the stairs , and he was swearing at the delay in being relieved . Something told Mr. Reardon this fellow would make trouble , so without warning he hit the coal passer a light rap `` to take the conceit out av him . '' Two minutes later the coal passer had joined his fellows beside the funnel . At a quarter after four Mr. Uhl scratched his head and said something very explosive in German . He started up the stairs , got halfway up -- and came down . It had occurred to him very suddenly that three men had already gone up the stairs and had failed to return . He called a fireman and gave him some very explicit orders in German ; whereupon the man disappeared in the shaft alley .