Black smoke billowed out of the chimney above the Sistine Chapel at 2:41 PM ET (7:41 PM in Vatican City). It was not unexpected, as a Pope is rarely selected on the first vote. Every cable news channel was on the smoke seconds after it appeared, while ABC, CBS and NBC broke in with special reports shortly thereafter. Every network seemed to be on top of their game, with anchors and correspondents in place and ready to report.
Despite it being a dark and dreary night in Rome, the dark smoke was clear against the brown wall of the building . Whether that continues tomorrow remains to be seen.
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