Crossing the Pacific Ocean from Asia to San Francisco, she had experienced violent winter storms that had challenged the crew and passengers. Despite the storm-wracked seas, the Oceanic made relatively good speed from Hong Kong to San Francisco. Nellie Bly had nearly accomplished her fantastic journey, but time was quickly running out. Nellie was on a mission: her newspaper was paying her to beat the fictional voyage portrayed in Jules Verne's wildly popular book, Around the World in Eighty Days.

In her attempt to circumnavigate the globe, the intrepid reporter shipped out eastbound from New York to London on November 14, 1889. It was an era when trains and steamships were the fastest transportation. Nellie planned to use both to her advantage. After all, no one had ever circled the world in eighty days before. It seemed impossible.

When Nellie arrived in France, Jules Verne was waiting at the train station. The famed novelist was anxious to meet the exuberant young woman who was bringing his adventure story to life. He wasn't the only one. In France the interest in Nellie's well-publicized journey grew so intense that Verne's book was reissued in no less than ten new editions.

Nellie Bly traveled by mail train to Brindisi, Italy. From there she boarded the British steamer Victoria and sailed through the Mediterranean, the Suez Canal, and eventually on to India. The attractive journalist received no less than two marriage proposals while on board. She spent Christmas Day in Hong Kong, but her mind was on New York.

By the time Nellie reached San Francisco, the bold 23-year-old adventurer had used up 68 days. Speed was of the essence. Crowds of Californian well-wishers welcomed her arrival with cheers and boisterous enthusiasm.

Unfortunately for Nellie, the news was not good. She had intended to ride a Central Pacific passenger train over Donner Pass, through Truckee, and then on aboard the Union Pacific railroad to Chicago. From Chicago it was a straight run back to New York City. But now, at the last minute, there was a serious obstacle to her success. High in the Sierra, blizzards, avalanches, and train derailments had shut down train traffic over the mountains for the past seven days. When Nellie asked Central Pacific's management about the blockade, the embarrassed officials could only say they had no idea when the line might re-open. It was the worst winter storm in Central Pacific's railroad history.

Her second problem was the "Nellie Bly Escort Corps." The corps consisted of her editors, John J. Jennings and W.B. Hopsun, as well as other professional associates from the East. The members of this elaborate delegation were trapped on the eastern side of the Sierra. The New York World's welcoming committee had crossed the entire continent only to be stranded in Reno. It seemed to Nellie that after circling most of the globe, a California snowstorm was going to foil her success.

All was not lost, however. Nellie's editor, Jennings, had been traveling two days in advance of his associates who were still held up in Reno. Jennings' train had gone several miles past Truckee before railroad officials shut down all westbound traffic. After 48 hours trapped in a snowbound passenger train, the frustrated editor decided on a radical course of action. He convinced Central Pacific officials to let him ride with a rotary snowplow that was about to clear the rails between Blue Canyon and Alta.

At first, the rotary rolled along smoothly, throwing snow in a thick plume. But it had not gone far when a terrific roar cascaded from the towering mountains. Almost instantly the entire machine was buried under an avalanche of snow and rock. Every window in the cab was shattered, but luckily no one was hurt. To Jennings' dismay, however, the rotary was declared out of commission.

This latest obstacle did not stop the dogged editor. Despite sober advice to Jennings to remain with the disabled rotary, he pushed on. He bought himself a pair of eight-foot-long wooden skis, the first he had ever seen. He later said, "It was like learning to skate: one runner would dart off in a southerly direction while the other would head for the north or west. I slid, stumbled and fell, but after a time I could travel very smoothly."

Jennings hired a guide to lead him through the snow-choked mountains. The two men traveled all night in the bitter cold. Several times they were nearly swept away by avalanches. The next morning Jennings broke past the blockade and boarded a California-bound train. Still carrying his new skis, Jennings stated, "I have seen snow and blizzards in New York, but the people back there don't know what snow is."

Meanwhile, Nellie had decided that she would not wait for Central Pacific's valiant, but futile effort to clear the snow blockade. In Oakland, she boarded a specially chartered Southern Pacific train that headed east toward Sacramento and then south. After some quick telegraph messages between Jennings and Bly, the two parties met at Lathrop, near Stockton, California. In order to circumvent the stubborn Sierra blockade, they detoured via Barstow and Arizona, using the southern rail route.

For the thousands of Americans reading about the drama in their hometown newspapers, the tension of the race was electric. Fear that the altered train route would ruin Nellie's tight schedule cropped up in the headlines, but all went well with her remaining connections. In Chicago, Mr. Jennings and Ms. Bly boarded the Atlantic and Pacific Flyer Express. The Flyer averaged 60 miles per hour in its charge across the country, eastward.

On the same day that Nellie Bly had sailed for Europe (Nov. 14), John Walker, proprietor of New York-based Cosmopolitan Magazine, announced that he was sending journalist, Elizabeth Bisland, to outdo Bly. Bisland, a former colleague of Bly's at the World, boarded a train westward for San Francisco shortly after Nellie sailed eastward. Elizabeth Bisland's attempt to beat Nellie went well until she arrived in England. Although she was only 3,000 miles from home, powerful winter storms in the North Atlantic Ocean trapped Ms. Bisland in London, where time and fame escaped her grasp.

Nellie Bly arrived back in New York City on January 25, having traveled 72 days, 6 hours, and 11 minutes in her epic, world-encircling journey. Most likely Jules Verne was very proud of her. Everyone else was.

(c) 2006 Mark McLaughlin

Mark McLaughlin is a weather historian who lives on the North Shore. The photos are from the author's collection.