about eleven o'clock
As the night advanced the firemen devoted themselves to pipes , draughts , and miscellaneous conversation in their back room , in which they were occasionally interrupted by the tingle of the telegraphic bell , to inform them that there was a chimney on fire in Holborn , to which they need pay no attention , even though `` called '' by an excited informer , because it was already being attended to , and did n't merit farther notice ; or to let them know that there was a fire raging in Whitechapel , which , although being most energetically looked after by the men of the brigade in its immediate neighbourhood , would be the better of aid , nevertheless , from _ one _ man from that station . On such distant duty , Bob Clazie and his brother David were successively sent out in different directions during the first part of the night ; but they returned in the course of an hour or so -- Bob considerably dirtied and moistened in consequence of having had to go vigorously into action at the tail end of a fire , while David returned as he went , having found that _ his _ fire had been effectually got under before his arrival . Only once during the night did a regular `` call '' reach the station . It was about eleven o'clock . Our youthful watchmen , feeling that the appointed hour was drawing nigh , had retired to the shade of a neighbouring court to avoid observation , when a man came tearing round the corner , dashed into the fire-station , tumbled over a bucket into the midst of the men , and yelled , `` Fire ! '' In three minutes the engine was out , the horses were attached , the men in their places , and away they went . `` Oh !