nearly eight o'clock
A thin coating of frost covered the _ Capella 's _ deck . Ross and his chum were heartily glad of their thick pilot-coats , mufflers , and woollen `` mitts '' , as they sheltered behind the breast-work erected on the bridge . Captain Syllenger slowly paced the bridge , frequently glancing at the clock in the chart-room , since it was almost a matter of impossibility to consult his watch , owing to his generous accumulation of clothing . It was now nearly eight o'clock , but as yet there were no signs of the expected sea-planes . Just then the dull morning light was pierced by a brilliant flash from one of the monitors . The watchers on the _ Capella 's _ bridge could see the low-lying hull give a decided jerk in a sternward direction under the reaction of the enormous projectile . Long before the shell reached its objective , other 14-inch guns added their quota , and the air was rent with the flashes of the ordnance and the ear-splitting detonations following the discharge .