six o'clock
The peculiar feeling of antagonism which is supposed to exist between the sailors and marines did not obtain in his case . In the navy the hammock which serves the living as a bed by night is also their coffin and their shroud . It so served Corporal Murray . -LSB- Illustration : `` WITH A FRIGHTFUL ROAR THE DEFECTIVE CARTRIDGE EXPLODED '' -RSB- Shortly after four bells -LRB- six o'clock -RRB- on the evening of the day on which the accident occurred , the boatswain 's mate sent the shrill piping of his whistle echoing through the ship , following it with the words , doleful and long drawn out : `` All hands shift-ft-ft into clean-n-n blue and stand by to bury the dead-d-d ! '' When the crew assembled on the gun deck in obedience to the call , the sun was just disappearing beyond the edge of the distant horizon . Its last rays entered the open port , showing to us the dead man 's figure outlined under an American flag . The body had been placed upon a grating in front of an open port , and several men were stationed close by in readiness to launch it into the sea .