The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-08-04
SECOND DAY OF THE coNcLAvS
PASSES AWAY WITHOUT De.
clsivE ACTION.
CROWD AROUND ST. PETERS
FIFTY THOUSAND PEOPLE sEE
THE SMOKE ARISE FROM SIS.
TINE CHAPEL.

CHIMNEY Oil Lu0 oA0JlAOS N40RSA las
night. a vast multitude gathered
around st. Peters learned that the
second day of the conclave had been
fruitless. The conclusion Is drawn
that the strength of the leading candi
date remains unbroken and that no
compromise candidate has yet appear.
ed. And there is no indication of how
long this condition of affairs will con-.
tinuc.
The prolongation of the contest has
aroused tremendous public interest, II.
indeed, it cannot be called excitement.
Every trace Of that apathy which fol
vanished and instead there now ex. |
lists a burning interest in everything
pertaining to the election of his sue.
cessor. Last night this eliminated in
the appearance Of a great crowd which
packed the square of st. Peters and
presented a spectacle seldom seen
even at the site of SO many historic
ceremonies. The fmpenetratable Sc:
clu3ion which shrouds those engaged
In determining who shall be at the
Head Of the Catholic Church
heightens the feverish curiosity Of
thoSe who await. their decision. Prin.
ces, princesses, archbishops, bishops,
monsignors. priests. w%ell-to-do bust
ness people, in short, people from
every walk in life from that of noble.
man to street beggar, talk of nothing
but la fumata (the smoke from the
burning ballots).
Both Sunday morning n evening
this was the lodestone which drew
tens of thousands to the square Of st.
Peters. There for hours, with strain
ed eyes and craned necks, they waited
In the hope of seeing a tiny little
stream Of smoke so insignificant that
it was almost impossible to realize
that a great issue was involved in it's
fieeting appearance.
The scene at st. Peters last night
was by far the most impressive that
has occurred in Rome since the late
pope became i'll. After the fruitless
morning ballot, a belief spread that
a new pontiff would surely be elected
In the evening. All roads during the
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
were
Black With the Thousands
who entered the square with the cease
less regularity Of IN incoming tide.
From the barracks came large rein
forcements Of troops who marched
ecross the piazza and lined up at the
foot of the steps of the basilica, leav.
ing only small spaces between the
~Son -, 0rlov. Tn nrnxnpf q sud
den rush to get inside st. Peters TO
witness the new pope give his blessing
to the Catholic world. A strong force
of cavalry was picketed neal by in
case of riot. and 1000 soldiers
were posted in the square. But the
troops made only an insignificant, thin,
blue line compared with the vast null
titude around them. BY 6 o'clock it
was estimated that $4,000 people oc-
cupied the vast a~mphitheater. From
the steps of the basilica. which were
black with those standing or sitting
across to the opposite side of the
square there stretched. as far as the
eye could see an undulating sea OF
humanity with every face riveted on
the Sistine chapel, waiting for the
smoke of the ballots.
Almost encircling this great audience
rose the stately pillars of the colon,
made, beneath which many rested and
waited. Near bv hundreds OF cabs
were drawn up, their occupants eager
ly scanning. through glasses. the lit
tie smokestack of the chapel.
Waiting to Know the Result.
Stretching away for over a luartel
Of a mile, a distance from which j
would have been absolutely impossi
BILE to see the smoke, were other thor
sands waiting to know the result.
When the hour of 6 struck, a trcmol
of expectancy ran through the mutt
tude because according to Saturday.
programme, the burning of the bal
ton would come within a few min
utes. When the quarter hour sounded
the increased and as tn
hand of the clock on st. Peters ap
preached the half hour a rumor tina
a selection had been made DEVELOPS
in the minds of many into a certaint,
and each one ~momentarily expecte'
some favored cardinal to be announG
ed as the new pontiff.
The crowd might almost have bee
one in some American city aWaitin
the result of a presidential election. bu
with this striking d~ifference--no sol
tary sign had come as to how the vot
had been going at the polls. Anothe
quarter of an hour passed and I'll
anxiety grew more intense. Not
breath of air relieved the sultry hea
of the evening and scarcely a SCUM
came from the vast multitude. HUI
dreds gathered below the windo'
from, which the new pontif is to b,
stow his first blessing. Suddenly. e!
actly at $40 p. M, a sharp cry aros
"ecce, ecce." Instantly the cry We
taken up by $4,000 Threats and gre
and grew until the immense piaz2
fairly roared with "ecce. ecce;
fumata."
Watch the Smoke Arise.