Perth Amboy evening news., 1903-08-03
NO POPE YET NAMED
Thousands at st. Peters Wait
For the Decision.
TREMENDOUS INTEREST is EVINCED
Princes, Princesses and Arch bishops,
In short, All Rome Talks of Moth
ing but La Sfumata, the Smoke
of the burning BnlIOts.

ROME. Aug. 3.-No successor to Lee
XIII. has yet been chosen. From the
smoke which issued from the little
chimney on the Sistine chapel Il vast
multitude gathered around st. Peters
learned that the second day of the con-
| clave had been fruitless. The conclu-
sion is drawn that the strength of the
leading candidate remain unbroken
and that no compromise candidate has
| yet appeared. And there is no indica-
ton of how long this condition of af-
| fairs will continue. The prolongation
| of the contest has aroused tremendous
| public interest, if indeed It cannot be
called excitement.
Every trace of that apathy which
followed the death of the late pope has
| vanished, and instead there nov exists
a burning interest in everything per
tanning to the election of his successor.
This has eliminated in the appearance
of a great crowd which packed the
| great square of st. Peters and present
ed a spectacle seldom seen even at the
| site of so many historic ceremonies.
The ~impenetrable ~SeclusiOn which
shrouds those engaged in determining
| who shall be at the head of the CathO-
lie church h~eightens the feverish curl
osity of those who await their decision.
Princes, princesses, archbishops, bish-
ops, mOnsignors, priests, well to do
business people-in short, people from
every walk in life from that of noble
man to street beggar-talk of nothing
but la sfumata fhe smoke from the
burning ballots. This is the load
stone which is drawing tens of thou
sands to the square of st. Peters.
There for hours, with strained eyes and
craned necks, they wait in the hope OF
seeing a tiny little stream of smoke so
insignificant that it is almost impos-
sible to realize that a great issue is
involved in it's fleeing appearance.
The scene at st. Peters is by far the
most impressive that has occurred in
Rome since the late pope became i'll.
All roads, therefore, lead to the Vati-
ran. Carriages and vehicles of every
description rattle into the piazza of st.
Peters. The streets converging into
st. Peters became black with the thou
sands who entered the square with the
eeaseless regularity of an incoming
Tide. From the barracks came large re-
endorsements of troops, who marched
across the piazza and lined up at the
foot of the steps of the basilica, leav-
ing only small spaces between the com
panies in order to prevent a sudden
rush to get inside st. Peters to witness
the new pope give his blessing to the
Catholic world.
A strong force of cavalry was picket
I'd neal by in case of riot, and over
1000 soldiers We're posted in the square.
But the troops make only an insignlf-
can't. thin, blue line compared with the
vast multitude around them. 1t is es-
timated that $4,000 people occupy the
vast amphitheater. From the steps of
The basilica, which are black with
hose standing or sitting, across to the
opposite side of the square there
stretched far as TIE eye could see an
anduIating sea Of humanity, with every
face riveted on the Sstine chapel, wait
ing for the smoke OK the ballots. AL
most encircling this \great audience
snae the stately pillars tof the colon