The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-08-03
Again Smoke Reveals a Fruit less Ballot to Waiting MuI-
 titude In the Plaza
STRENGTH OF LEADING
 CANDIDATES UNBROREN
immense coneourse Assemblies in Pla- ga of St. Peter's to Await Result and Receive 5enedIetion
 of the New Pope.

Rome, August 2.-No successor to Leo XIII. has yet been chosen. From the smoke which issued from the little chim- ney on the Sistine chapel tonight, vast multitude gathered around St. Peters, learned that the second day of the con- clave 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 proiongation of the contest has arous- ed tremendous public interest if indeed 1t cannot be called excitement. Every trace of that apathy which followed the death of tho late pope has vanished and instead there now exists burning interest in everything pertaining to the election of his successor.
 This eliminated tonight in the appear ance of a crowd which packed the great square of St. Peters and presented a spectacle seldom seen even at the site Of so many historic ceremonies. The im- penetrable seclusion which shrouds those engaged in determining who shall be at the head of the Catholic church, height ems the feverish curiosity of those who await their decision. Princes, princesses' archbishops bishops. monsignors, priests, well-to-do business people, in short peo- ple from every walk of like from that of nobleman to street beggar, talked of nothing but la fumata (the signal smokel. All. .fs4rr md aW0ntnR was the lodestone which drew tens of thousands 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 insignificant that It was impossible to realize that a great issue was involved in its heeting appearance.
 Impressive Scene.
 The scene at St. Peter's tonight was by far the most impressive that has oc- cured in Rome since the late pope be- came il After the fruitless morning ballot. belief spread that a new pontifi would surely be elected this evening. All roads during the afternoon, therefore, led to the vatican. Carriages and vehicles Of every description rattled in the plaza of St. Peters. The regular Sunday leis- ure was forgotten in the anxiety to see the new occupant of the holy see. The streets converging into St. Peters plaza were black with the thousands who en- tered the square with the ceaseless reg ularity of an incoming tide. From the barracks came large endorsements of troops who marched across the plaza and lined up at the foot of the steps of the basilica, leaving only small spaces be- tween the companies in order to prevent a sudden rush to get inside St. Peter's to xxrftf ha piU fprr to the Catholic world.
 A strong force of cavalry was posted nearby In case of riot and more than 5000 soldiers were posted in the square. But the troops made only an insignif- cant, thin, blue line compared with the vast multitude around them. By o'clock 1t was estimated that bO,O0O people occupied the vast ampitheatre. From the steps of the basilica, which were black with those standing or sitting. across to the opposite side of the square. there stretched. far as the eye could see, an undulating sea of humanity with every face riveted on the Sstine chapel waiting for the smoke of the ballots.
 Immense Crowd Waiting.
 Almost encircling this great audience rose the stately pillars of the collonade, beneath which many rested and waited. Nearby hundreds of cabs were drawn up, their occupants eagerly scanning through glasses the little smoke stack of the chapel. Stretching away for over a quarter of a mile. distance from which 1t would have been absolutely im- possible to see the smoke, were other thousands, waiting to know the result.
 The rays of the setting sun glancing from the dome of St. Peters lit up the housetops at the opposite end of the square, and these 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, a tremor of expectancy ran through the multitude. because, ac- cording to yesterdays programme, the burning of the ballots or the announce ment of an election would come within a few minutes. When the quarter hour sounded, the nervousness increased, and a large number of officials of the vati- can not engaged In the conclave. emerged to watch the concourse. As the hand of the clock on St. Peters approached the half hour, a rumor that a selection had been made developed in the minds of many into certainty and each one mo- mentarily expected some favored cardi- nal to be announced as the new pontiff.
 Anxiety Becomes Intense.
 The crowd might almost have been one In some American city awaiting the pres identiai election returns with this strik- ing difference-no solitary sign had come as to how the vote had been going on at the polls. Another quarter of an hour passed and the anxiety grew more in- tense. Not a breath of air relieved the sultry heat of the evening and scarcely n sound came from the vast multitude. Hundreds gathered below the window from which the new pontiff Is to bestow his first blessing Suddenly at exactly $40 o'clock sharp cry arose ''ecce, ecce."
 Instantly the cry was taken up by 5O,ocC throats and grew and grew until the i'm mense plaza fairly roared with "ecce, ecce, la fumata."
 Then the silence fell ike a spell while the thousands watched-rrom the thin smoke stack a tiny stream of light smoke curled downward. With no wind 10 carry it away, the smoke hung heavily In the hot air and then gradually disap- naared