"late in the XXth century" and "in the late XXth century"

[Elemoi]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gloucestershire/focus/2004/10/sharpness_rail_disaster.shtml
The rail bridge was constructed late in the 19th century and connected Sharpness with Lydney over the River Severn.

Can I say "in the late 19th century" instead?

http://jp.fujitsu.com/group/fri/report/economic-review/200301/page8.html
The examples analyzed here are the British deflation in the late 19th century and Japan in the 1920s - 1930s.

Can I say "late in the 19th century" instead?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/immig_emig/northern_ireland/ni_2/article_2.shtml
Below decks, only children could stand upright; the William, which sailed from Newry to Boston in 1766, had a height of four feet nine inches between the decks and was described as 'roomy'. Berths were crowded, and until late in the late 18th Century, there were no portholes so the only source of fresh air was a few overhead hatches.

Shouldn't until late in the late 18th Century be either "until late in the 18th century" or "until the late 18th century"?

 

[sarat_106]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gloucestershire/focus/2004/10/sharpness_rail_disaster.shtml
The rail bridge was constructed late in the 19th century and connected Sharpness with Lydney over the River Severn.

The word ‘late’ can be used as an adjective or adverb. Here it is an adverb modifying the verb ‘was constructed’ meaning the construction activity started late in the 19th century but does not indicate any specific time or period
Can I say "in the late 19th century" instead?
Yes, you can say so with slight change in specifying a period: that the construction activity started to-words the later part or end of the 19th century

http://jp.fujitsu.com/group/fri/report/economic-review/200301/page8.html
The examples analyzed here are the British deflation in the late 19th century and Japan in the 1920s - 1930s.

Can I say "late in the 19th century" instead?
No, here it can neither function as an adjective or adverb.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/immig_emig/northern_ireland/ni_2/article_2.shtml
Below decks, only children could stand upright; the William, which sailed from Newry to Boston in 1766, had a height of four feet nine inches between the decks and was described as 'roomy'. Berths were crowded, and until late in the late 18th Century, there were no portholes so the only source of fresh air was a few overhead hatches.

Shouldn't until late in the late 18th Century be either "until late in the 18th century" or "until the late 18th century"? I agree. The underlined expression sounds odd. If ‘until’ is to satisfy its prepositional role, it should be followed by a noun and not an adjective such as ‘late’. As suggested by you it can be; until the late 18th century

Skp