The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-03
People Had n welI-Denned Impression
that . Pope Would he Chosen
During the Day.
TROOPS THERE TO KEEP ORDER
SMALL INTERVALS KEPT TO PRE-
VENT RUSH INTO THE CHURCH.
Precautions Unnecessary, as the Fate
full Choice Is Unmade-GrOwing
Excitement I'm Rome.

ROME, Aug mo successor to Leo
XIII has yet been chosen. From the smoke
which issued from the little chimney on
the Sistine Chapel tonight vast multi
tude gathered around st. Peters learned
that the second day of the conclaye had
been fruitless. The conclusion is drawn
that the strength of the leading candidate
remains unbroken and that no compromise
candidate has yet appeared. And there is
no indication of how long this condition of
affairs will continue. The prolongation of
the contest has aroused tremendous public
interest, IL. indeed. it cannot be called ex-
element. Every trace of that apathy which
followed the death of the late Pope has
vanished, and instead there now exists
burning interest in everything pertaining
Co the election OF his successor.
This eliminated tonight in the appear
ance of a great crowd which packed the
great square of st. Peters and presented
spectacle seldom seen even at the
site or so many historic ceremonies.
The impenetrable seclusion which sur
rounds those engaged in determin-
ing who shall be at the head of the
Catholic Church heightens the feverish Gu
Tiosity of those who await their decision.
Princes. princesses. archbishops, bishops.
monsignors, priests. well-to-do business
people, in short people from every walk Of
life from that of nobleman to street beggar
talked of nothing but La fumata (the sig
nal smoke)
Both this morning and this evening this
was the lodestone which drew tens of thou
sands TO the square of ST. Peters. There
for hours. with strained eyes and craned
necks. they waited in the hope of seeing a
tiny little stream of smoke, so insignifi-
cant that it was almost impossible to real
ize that great issue was involved In lis
feeting appearance
NIGHT SCENE IMPRESSIVE.
The scene at ST. Peters tonight was by
FAR the most impressive that has occurred
In Rome since the late Pope became sick.
After the fruitless morning ballot belief
spread that new Pontif would surely
be elected this evening. All roads during
the afternoon. therefore, led to the vati-
= can. Carriages and vehicles of every de-
scription ratified into the Piazza of st.
Peters. The regular Sunday leisure was
forgotten in the anxiety to see the new
occupant of the Holy See.
The streets converging into st. Peters
plaza were black with thousands who en-
tered the square with the ceaseless regu-
larity of an incoming tide. From the bar
racks came large reinforcements of troops;
up at the foot of the steps of the Basica,
leaving only small spaces between the COM
to get inside St Peters to see the new
Pope give his blessing to the Catholic
world.
near by in case of riot and more than
2.00o soldiers were posted In the square.
But the troops made only an insignificant.
tEiI blue line compared with the vast multi
tudss around them By o'clock 1t was
estimated that $1,000 people occupied the
V, amphitheater. From the steps of the
Bs alica, which were black with those
ST ading or sitting. across to the opposite
side of the square there stretched, far as
nanity with every face riveted the Sis
tine Chapel. waiting for the smoke OF the
ballots.
Almost encirclng this great concourse
rose the stately pillars of the colonnade,
beneath which many rested and waited.
Near by hundreds OF cabs were drawn up.
their occupants eagerly scanning through
glases the little smokestack OF the chapel.
Stretching away for over a quarter of a
mile distance from which IL would have
been absolutely impossible to see the smoke.
were other thousands waiting to know the
result.
GROWING TENSION.
The rays of the setting sun glancing from
the dome OF St Peters lit up the housetops
also were crowded with anxious watchers.
Among the vast throng in the square itself
were many German students whose scarlet
cassocks formed vivid patches of color.
When the hour of struck tremor of ex-
pectancy ran through the multitude, be-
cause. according to yesterdays programme,
the burning OF the ballots or the announce
ment OF an election would come within q
few minutes When the quarter hour sound
ed the nervousness increased and a large
number OF officials OF the Vatican not en-
gagged I'm the conclaye emerged to watch
the ccncourse. AS the hands of the clock
on st. Peters approached the half-hour a
rumor that selection had been made de-
veloped In the minds of many into GER
tainty, and each one momentarily expected
some favored cardinal TO be announced as
the new Pontiff.
IN some American city awaiting the result
OF a presidential election. but with this
striking dinereneeLno solitary sign had
At the polls. Another quarter of an hour
passed, and the anxiety grew more intense
not breath of air relieved the sultry heat
of the evening and scarcely a sound came
from the vast multitude Hundreds gath
cred below the window from which the
new Pontfff Is 10 bestow his first blessing.
Suddenly. exactly at $40 O'Clock, a sharp
cry arose: .Eccoi Eccor'
instantly the cry was taken up by $4,000
throats and grew and grew until the i'm
ccco; la fumata"
TINY CURL OF SMOKE.
Then silence fell like spell. while the
thousands watched from the thin smoke
stack OF the Sistine Chapel tiny stream
Of light gray smoke curl lazily downward
with no wind TO carry IL away the smoke
hung heavily I'm the hot air and then grad
ualIy disappeared
For a moment the crowd believed that
Che signal meant an election. for there Il