The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-08-02
Wisp of Smoke from the Sis tine Chapel Tells Result to
 Anxious Thousands
RUMOR HAS 1T THAT
 RAMPOLLA IS FIRST
1t Is Stated That He Received 20 Votes on First Ballot, Next Highest Being 12-slck Cardinals
 Improve.

Rome. Aug. 1.-The first day of the conclave has ended and no pope has been elected. Both morning and this after noon all the members of the Sacred Col- lege, except Cardinals Herrera Espino- ga, cretoni, Langenieux and Collie who were confined to their cells by illness, entered the Sistine chapel, where, after the solemn ritual appointed for the occa- sion, they dropped their ballots in the chalice. That these gave no candidate the necessary forty-two votes, was made known to Rome and to the world by the smoke of burning ballots which issued from the Slstine chapel. Tomorrow the cardinals will vote again. both in the morning and in the afternoon, but with what chances of arriving at decision before Monday noon, no one can tell It was reported this evening that the Rampolla party was in the ascendant, but this cannot be taken as any indca- tion of the final result. as the vote of Pope Leo's secretary of state may be split up or given in it's entirety to some other cardinal.
 Apparently trustworthy information Is to the effect that Cardinal Rampolla re- ceived at the first ballot this morning
  Gotti seven, Oreglia five. Di Pietro four, Capecolatro four and Agliardi three, the remainder being scattered. Rumor gen. orally assigns Monday as the most likely day on which an election will occur.
 Election Not Expected.
 No one here supposed the cardinals would select pontiff on the first ballot. hence. this morning few of the populace were present in the plaza of St. Peter, though in the immediate neighborhood thereof thousassS troops and ksndarmes stood idle in the shade of the collonades. In the afternoon the sun blazed down and St. Peters at 4 o'clock was just as deserted as on the day Pope Leo died.
 Soon after o'clock however. crowds began to gather. First came the priests and monks of all denominations in their queer colored cassocks, and women from the poorer parts of the city carrying or dragging children with them. By o'clock several persons. including many American tourists, hundreds of priests, anxious Romans of all classes, gathered at the steps of the basilica and along the left side of St. Peter's square Only from these points was the Sistine chapel visible.
 Every eye was turned toward the long, narrow tin tube with conical top which rises crookedly from end of
 
 vised smoke outlet for hovel instead of world watched beacon, which alone can give the sign awaited by so many millions of people.
 As evening drew near the crowd in- creased and Roman princes and prin- cesses drove up and watched from their carriages through opera glasses the tin smokestack which glistened in the sun. Prince Orsini, the head of the Roman mo- bility, who shares only with Prince Co., lonna the hereditary right to stand next to the papal throne, sat on the steps Of St Peters beside an old beggar woman. Like her, he watched ntently for the smoke signal, but no smoke came.
 None Attend vespers.
 The bells of the basilca rang out the call to vespers, but none went in. The priests, pacing the steps of St. Peters, prayer book in hand. muttered the even- ing office, with an ever-watchful eye on the Sistine chapel. The suspense became intense; even the street urchins who had come in large numbers to gather the discarded ends of cigarettes thrown away by the nervous crowd. stopped their work and gazed towards the chapel
 Several false alarms of Behold, 1t smolkesr' caused a thrill of excitement. Then came rumor that a pope had been elected. and many persons rushed to the -basilica in order to get good seats when the announcement should be made. The impression that choice had been reached was heightened by the appear ance on the walls of the vatican of a few officers in full uniform as if for great ceremony.
 When o'clock boomed out from the big clock of St. Peter's there was a sea of upturned faces focused with intense anticipation on the Sistine chapers crook ota aoly rotp another cry. This time 1t was true. From the conical top of the stack of the chapel curled out tiny streak of smoke. So light. so faint that 1t was Nscarcely dis tinguished, even against the deep blue of the cioudless Italian sky. From the crowd came sigh of relief. Still watching with craned necks, they saw the smoke thicken and then die down, and in two minutes all trace of today's futile voting had van ished in flames.
 Slowly and with much speculation as to what had occurred within the conclave, the crowds dispersed. The historic method of giving the world the only information 1t Is supposed to get regarding the election of a pope, had served its purpose with dramatic thoroughness.
 Preparing Great Window.
 During the afternoon workmen were busy in St. Peters preparing the great window facing the interior of the basilica from which the new pope, immediately after his election. will give hs first bene- diction to the Catholic world.
 A number of the diplomatists accredited to the holy see have been at the vatican during the day. stopping at the wicket gate, but not having any communication with those in the conclave. The most in- teresting period at the wicket Is when postal and other communications for the cardinals conclavists and the others se- cured within the precincts of the conclave. are received after being examined by the marshal and the governor of the conclave. The latest reports are to the effect that the condition of the sick cardinals has somewhat improved. The rules of the con clave allow cardinal. who is sick to