Elizabeth Bisland
Elizabeth Bisland Wetmore (February 11, 1861 – January 6, 1929) was an American journalist and author, perhaps now best known for her 1889–1890 race around the world against Nellie Bly, which drew worldwide attention. The majority of her writings were literary works. She published all of her works as Elizabeth Bisland. Early career. Bisland was born on Fairfax Plantation, St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, on February 11, 1861. During the Civil War, the family fled the homestead prior to the Battle of Fort Bisland. Life was difficult when they returned, and when she was twelve the family moved to Natchez , Louisiana, site of her father's family home that he had inherited. She began her writing career as a teenager, sending poetry to the "New Orleans Times Democrat" using the pen name "B. L. R. Dane". Once her writing activity was revealed to her family and the editor of the paper, she was paid for the work, and she soon went to New Orleans to work for the paper. Around 1887, Bisland moved to New York City and got her first work from "The Sun" newspaper. By 1889 she was doing work for a number of publications, including the "New  York World". Among other outlets, she later become an editor at "Cosmopolitan" magazine and she also contributed to the "Atlantic Monthly" and the "North American Review". Journey around the world. In November 1889, the "New York World" announced that it was sending its reporter Nellie Bly around the world, in a bid to beat Phileas Fogg's fictitious 80-day journey in Jules Verne's novel "Around the World in Eighty Days". Catching wind of this publicity stunt, John Brisben Walker, who had just purchased the three-year-old and still-fledgling "Cosmopolitan", decided to dispatch Bisland on her own  journey. Six hours after being recruited, Bisland departed westward from Manhattan. Meanwhile, Bly left on a steamer headed to Europe, both on the same day—November 14, 1889. The journeys were keenly followed by the public, although Bly, sponsored by the more sensationalistic and popular "New York World" (which mainly ignored Bisland), appeared to get more attention than Bisland and the genteel "Cosmopolitan", which only published monthly. Bly, racing against the 80-day benchmark, was unaware of her competition until she reached Hong Kong on December 24. There, an official of the Occidental and Oriental Steamship Company told her that  she would be beaten, stating that Bisland had passed through three days prior. Ultimately, however, Bly triumphed over Bisland. Critically, while in England, Bisland was told (and apparently believed) she had missed her intended ride, the swift German steamer "Ems" leaving from Southampton, even though her publisher had bribed the shipping company to delay its departure. It is unknown whether she was intentionally deceived. She was thus forced to catch the slow-going "Bothnia" on January 18, departing from Queenstown (Cobh), Ireland, ensuring that Bly would prevail. Later, Bly raced across America on a specially chartered train to complete her  journey. She arrived at her final destination point in New Jersey on January 25, 1890, at 3:51 p.m., for a total travel time of 72 days, 6 hours, and 11 minutes. The precise time was kept, as the "World" advertised a contest to guess the exact moment she would arrive. Bisland's ship did not arrive in Manhattan until January 30. She completed her trip in 76 days, also well ahead of Fogg's fictional record. Bisland wrote a series of articles for the "Cosmopolitan" on her journey, subsequently published as a book entitled, "In Seven Stages: A Flying Trip  Around The World" (1891). Later career. Bisland's writing was of a more literary nature than her participation in the world race might indicate (and her writings were a clear contrast from the more swashbuckling style of Bly's writings on her trip). Indeed, her 1929 "New York Times" obituary failed to even mention the journey, and she focused her writing on more serious topics after "the race". In 1906, she published the well-received "The Life and Letters of Lafcadio Hearn"; she had first met Hearn when both were living in New Orleans in the 1880s. She co-wrote  with Anne Hoyt "Seekers in Sicily", which was written before, but published after, the 1908 Messina earthquake. Bisland's final book, "Three Wise Men of the East" (1930), was published posthumously. Personal life. Bisland married lawyer Charles Whitman Wetmore in 1891, however, she continued to publish books under her maiden name. The couple constructed a noted summer residence called "Applegarth" (on Long Island's North Shore) in 1892. Bisland died of pneumonia near Charlottesville, Virginia on January 6, 1929, and was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx, New York City, coincidentally, in the same cemetery as Bly, who also  died of pneumonia in 1922. In popular culture. Although Bisland is far less remembered than Bly, the race between the two has been the subject of two works of popular history and one musical theatre production: