# Elizabeth Bisland

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American writer and journalist

Elizabeth Bisland Wetmore Elizabeth Bisland circa 1891 Born Elizabeth Bisland (1861-02-11)February 11, 1861 St. Mary Parish, Louisiana Died January 6, 1929(1929-01-06) (aged 67) Charlottesville, Virginia Occupation Writer Spouse Charles B. Wetmore (October 6, 1854 – June 1, 1919)[1][2][3][4] Parent(s) Thomas Shields Bisland (1837–1908)[5] and Margaret (Brownson) Bisland (m. June 24, 1858)

**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](/source/Nellie_Bly), which drew worldwide attention. The majority of her writings were [literary works](/source/Literature). She published all of her works as **Elizabeth Bisland**.

## Early career

Bisland was born on Fairfax Plantation, [St. Mary Parish](/source/St._Mary_Parish%2C_Louisiana), Louisiana, on February 11, 1861. During the [Civil War](/source/American_Civil_War), the family fled the homestead prior to the [Battle of Fort Bisland](/source/Battle_of_Fort_Bisland). Life was difficult when they returned, and when she was twelve the family moved to [Natchez, Louisiana](/source/Natchez%2C_Louisiana), site of her father's family home that he had inherited.[6]

She began her writing career as a teenager, sending poetry to the *[New Orleans Times Democrat](/source/The_Times-Picayune)* using the pen name *B. L. R. Dane*.[6][7][8] 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](/source/New_Orleans) to work for the paper.[6]

Around 1887, Bisland moved to New York City[9] and got her first work from *[The Sun](/source/The_Sun_(New_York))* newspaper.[6] By 1889 she was doing work for a number of publications, including the *[New York World](/source/New_York_World)*.[6] Among other outlets, she later became an editor at *[Cosmopolitan](/source/Cosmopolitan_(magazine))* magazine and she also contributed to the *[Atlantic Monthly](/source/The_Atlantic)* and the *[North American Review](/source/North_American_Review)*.[10]

## Journey around the world

Elizabeth Bisland on a ship's deck during her around-the-world race against [Nellie Bly](/source/Nellie_Bly)

See also: [Around the World in Seventy-Two Days](/source/Around_the_World_in_Seventy-Two_Days)

In November 1889, the *[New York World](/source/New_York_World)* announced that it was sending its reporter [Nellie Bly](/source/Nellie_Bly) around the world, in a bid to beat [Phileas Fogg](/source/Phileas_Fogg)'s fictitious 80-day journey in [Jules Verne](/source/Jules_Verne)'s novel *[Around the World in Eighty Days](/source/Around_the_World_in_Eighty_Days)*.[11] Catching wind of this publicity stunt, [John Brisben Walker](/source/John_Brisben_Walker), who had just purchased the three-year-old and still-fledgling *Cosmopolitan*, decided to dispatch Bisland on her own journey.[12]

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](/source/Southampton), even though her publisher had bribed the shipping company to delay its departure. It is unknown whether she was intentionally deceived.[13] She was thus forced to catch the slow-going *Bothnia* on January 18, departing from [Queenstown](/source/Cobh) (now Cobh), Ireland, ensuring that Bly would prevail.[14][15][16][17][18]

Bisland's ship did not arrive in Manhattan until January 30. She completed her trip in 761⁄2 days, well ahead of Fogg's fictional record but slower than Bly's 72 days.[19] 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).[20][21][22]

## 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](/source/Around_the_World_in_Seventy-Two_Days) on her trip). Indeed, her 1929 *[New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)* obituary failed to even mention the journey,[10] 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*;[23] she had first met [Hearn](/source/Lafcadio_Hearn) when both were living in New Orleans in the 1880s.[6]

She co-wrote with Anne Hoyt *Seekers in Sicily*, which was written before, but published after, the [1908 Messina earthquake](/source/1908_Messina_earthquake).

Bisland's final book, *Three Wise Men of the East* (1930), was published posthumously.[24]

## Personal life

Bisland married lawyer Charles Whitman Wetmore in 1891,[10][25] however, she continued to publish books under her maiden name. The couple constructed a noted summer residence called *Applegarth* (on [Long Island](/source/Long_Island)'s [North Shore](/source/North_Shore_(Long_Island))) in 1892.[1][26][27][28]

Bisland died of pneumonia near [Charlottesville, Virginia](/source/Charlottesville%2C_Virginia) on January 6, 1929, and was buried at [Woodlawn Cemetery](/source/Woodlawn_Cemetery_(Bronx%2C_New_York)) in [The Bronx](/source/The_Bronx), [New York City](/source/New_York_City),[10] coincidentally, in the same cemetery as Bly, who also died of pneumonia in 1922.[29]

## Selected bibliography

[Library resources](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:The_Wikipedia_Library) about
 **Elizabeth Bisland**

- [Resources in your library](https://ftl.toolforge.org/cgi-bin/ftl?st=viaf&su=20052507)

- [Resources in other libraries](https://ftl.toolforge.org/cgi-bin/ftl?st=viaf&su=20052507&library=0CHOOSE0)

**By Elizabeth Bisland**

- [Online books](https://ftl.toolforge.org/cgi-bin/ftl?at=viaf&au=20052507&library=OLBP)

- [Resources in your library](https://ftl.toolforge.org/cgi-bin/ftl?at=viaf&au=20052507)

- [Resources in other libraries](https://ftl.toolforge.org/cgi-bin/ftl?at=viaf&au=20052507&library=0CHOOSE0)

- [*In Seven Stages: A Flying Trip Around the World*](http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/bisland/stages/stages.html), New York: Harper and Brothers, 1891

- *A Candle of Understanding* (1903)

- *The Secret Life: Being the Book of a Heretic* (1906)

- *The Life and Letters of Lafcadio Hearn* (1906)

- *Three Wise Men of the East* (1930)

## In popular culture

Although Bisland is far less remembered than Bly,[30] the race between the two has been the subject of two works of [popular history](/source/Popular_history) and one [musical theatre](/source/Musical_theatre) production:

- Goodman, Matthew (October 2013). "[Elizabeth Bisland's Race Around the World](http://publicdomainreview.org/2013/10/16/elizabeth-bislands-race-around-the-world/)". *Public Domain Review*.

- Marks, Jason. *Around the World in 72 Days: The race between Pulitzer's Nellie Bly and Cosmopolitan's Elizabeth Bisland* (Gemittarius Press 1993) ([ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-9633696-2-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-9633696-2-8))

- DiFabbio, Marialena and Jones, Susannah. *Bisland and Bly*. Sycamore Theatre Company, 2018.[31][32]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-charlesapple1_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-charlesapple1_1-1) MacKay, Robert B. et al. (eds.) [Long Island country houses and their architects, 1860–1940](https://books.google.com/books?id=jIXc9ES8qcAC&pg=PT258) (1997) ([ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-393-03856-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-393-03856-9))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-deathdatedh_2-0)** [Necrology](https://books.google.com/books?id=yz4BAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA185), *[The Harvard Graduates Magazine](/source/Harvard_Magazine)*, September 1919, p. 185 (listing death of death for Charles Wetmore)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-dhmore2_3-0)** [Charles Whitman Wetmore](https://books.google.com/books?id=ZjAmAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA99), *Harvard College, Class of 1875, Secretary's Report No. VII*, p.99-100 (1899)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-barlow_4-0)** Harrison, Mitchell C. [Prominent and Progressive Americans](https://books.google.com/books?id=W0YDAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA224), Vol. II, p.225-27 (1904) (three-page biography of Charles Whitman Wetmore, noting his law partnership with former Civil War General [Francis C. Barlow](/source/Francis_C._Barlow) and later position as president of [North American Company](/source/North_American_Company))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Thomas Sheilds Bisland Dead"](https://www.nytimes.com/1908/07/18/archives/thomas-sheilds-bisland-dead.html). *The New York Times*. July 18, 1908.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-longbio_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-longbio_6-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-longbio_6-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-longbio_6-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-longbio_6-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-longbio_6-5) Verdery, Katherine. [Elizabeth Bisland Wetmore](https://books.google.com/books?id=MUsrAQAAIAAJ&q=%22Elizabeth+Bisland+Wetmore%22&pg=PA5767), in *Library of Southern Literature*, p.5767-72 (1910)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-dane1_7-0)** Bradshaw, Jim. [Acadiana Diary: St. Mary journalist competed with Bly](https://archive.today/20130131213834/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/theadvertiser/access/1749484621.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Apr+02,+2006&author=Jim+Bradshaw&pub=The+Daily+Advertiser&desc=Acadiana+Diary:+ST.+Mary+journalist+competed+with+Bly&pqatl=google), *[The Daily Advertiser](/source/The_Daily_Advertiser_(Lafayette))*, April 2, 2006

1. **[^](#cite_ref-dane2_8-0)** Bradshaw, Jim. [Elizabeth Bisland raced Nellie Bly around world](https://web.archive.org/web/20121104045106/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/theadvertiser/access/1699601191.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Aug+03,+2008&author=Jim+Bradshaw&pub=The+Daily+Advertiser&desc=Elizabeth+Bisland+raced+Nellie+Bly+around+world&pqatl=google), *[The Daily Advertiser](/source/The_Daily_Advertiser_(Lafayette))*, August 3, 2008

1. **[^](#cite_ref-theday1_9-0)** [Bright Women These: Sketches and Portraits of Some Daughters of the South](https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mAsiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=t3MFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4846,93701&dq=elizabeth-bisland&hl=en), *[The Day](/source/The_Day_(New_London))*, January 2, 1891

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-nytobit_10-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-nytobit_10-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-nytobit_10-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-nytobit_10-3) ["MRS. E.B. WETMORE, AUTHOR, DIES IN SOUTH; Former Elizabeth Bisland of This City to Be Buried in Woodlawn Today"](https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB091EFB3D5A167A93CBA9178AD85F4D8285F9). *The New York Times*. January 9, 1929.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["When Cosmopolitan Sent A Victorian Lady To Race Around The Globe"](http://www.popsci.com/article/technology/when-cosmopolitan-sent-victorian-lady-race-around-globe). *Popular Science*. Retrieved August 24, 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-walker1_12-0)** Roggenkamp, Karen S.H. [Dignified Sensationalism: Elizabeth Bisland, Cosmopolitan, and Trips Around the World](http://faculty.tamu-commerce.edu/kroggenkamp/bisland.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20100112042246/http://faculty.tamu-commerce.edu/kroggenkamp/bisland.html) January 12, 2010, at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine), *presented at* "Writing the Journey: A Conference on American, British, & Anglophone Writers and Writing" University of Pennsylvania, June 10–13, 1999

1. **[^](#cite_ref-marks1_13-0)** Abrams, Alan. [Gold among the summer's dross](https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=im0xAAAAIBAJ&sjid=VwMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6364,1175304), *[Toledo Blade](/source/The_Blade_(Toledo))*, September 5, 1993

1. **[^](#cite_ref-bothnia1_14-0)** [Round Went Nelly](https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LjInAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2gMGAAAAIBAJ&pg=4329,665721), *[Daily Argus News](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Daily_Argus_News&action=edit&redlink=1)*, January 25, 1890

1. **[^](#cite_ref-arrtrib_15-0)** [Arrival of Elizabeth Bisland: Although Beaten by Neille Bly She Succeeds in Lowering Phiness Fogg's Record](https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/430033842.html?dids=430033842:430033842&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=Jan+31,+1890&author=&pub=Chicago+Tribune&desc=ARRIVAL+OF+ELIZABETH+BISLAND.&pqatl=google) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20121104045004/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/430033842.html?dids=430033842:430033842&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=Jan+31,+1890&author=&pub=Chicago+Tribune&desc=ARRIVAL+OF+ELIZABETH+BISLAND.&pqatl=google) November 4, 2012, at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine), *[Chicago Tribune](/source/Chicago_Tribune)*, January 31, 1890

1. **[^](#cite_ref-trib2_16-0)** [ELIZABETH BISLAND AND NELLIE BLY: The Globe-Trotting Race Between the Two Rapidly Nearing Its End](https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/771247092.html?dids=771247092:771247092&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=Jan+18,+1890&author=&pub=Chicago+Tribune&desc=ELIZABETH+BISLAND+AND+NELLIE+BLY&pqatl=google) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20121104045020/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/771247092.html?dids=771247092:771247092&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=Jan+18,+1890&author=&pub=Chicago+Tribune&desc=ELIZABETH+BISLAND+AND+NELLIE+BLY&pqatl=google) November 4, 2012, at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine), *[Chicago Tribune](/source/Chicago_Tribune)*, January 18, 1890

1. **[^](#cite_ref-departrace1_17-0)** [Woman Against Woman: "Nellie Bly" and Miss Bisland go racing around the world](https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8_MnAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3QQGAAAAIBAJ&pg=867,5178778&dq=elizabeth-bisland&hl=en), *[Aurora Daily Express](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aurora_Daily_Express&action=edit&redlink=1)*, November 27, 1889

1. **[^](#cite_ref-jan18_18-0)** [ALL AROUND THE WORLD.; MISS BISLAND NOW ON HER OCEAN VOYAGE TO NEW-YORK](https://www.nytimes.com/1890/01/19/archives/all-around-the-world-miss-bisland-now-on-her-ocean-voyage-to.html), *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*, January 19, 1890

1. **[^](#cite_ref-nytarrive_19-0)** [Miss Bisland Arrives: Her Trip Around the World in 761⁄2 days](https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9B04E0D9143BE533A25752C3A9679C94619ED7CF&scp=54&sq=bisland&st=p), *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*, January 31, 1890

1. **[^](#cite_ref-rivalletter_20-0)** Bandel, Betty. [Nellie Bly's Rival (letter to editor)](https://www.nytimes.com/1971/02/07/archives/nellie-blys-rival.html), *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*, February 7, 1971

1. **[^](#cite_ref-marksbook_21-0)** Marks, Jason. *Around the World in 72 Days: The race between Pulitzer's Nellie Bly and Cosmopolitan's Elizabeth Bisland* (Gemittarius Press 1993) ([ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-9633696-2-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-9633696-2-8))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-wong_22-0)** Wong, Edlie L. *[Around the World and across the Board: Nellie Bly and the Geography of Games](https://books.google.com/books?id=Ck86luszYU8C&pg=PA296)*, in *American literary geographies: spatial practice and cultural production, 1500–1900*, pp. 296–324 (Brückner, Martin & Hus, Hsuan L., eds.) (2007) ([ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-87413-980-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-87413-980-8))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-hearn1review_23-0)** Huneker, James (December 1, 1906). ["EXOTIC LAFCADIO HEARN; The Life and Letters of a Master of Nuance – Elizabeth Bisland's Sympathetic Biography"](https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1906/12/01/101718218.pdf) (PDF). *The New York Times*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-three1_24-0)** Feld, Rose C. (May 3, 1931). ["Three Oriental Sages (book review)\]"](https://www.nytimes.com/1931/05/03/archives/three-oriental-sages.html). *The New York Times*. (note: abstract)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-smokes_25-0)** ["Heard in the Smoking Room"](https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1903/03/22/118492299.pdf) (PDF). *The New York Times*. March 22, 1903. (stating that Wetmore graduated from Harvard in 1875; other records show he obtained an L.L.B. as well in 1877)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-arch1_26-0)** Aspinwall, J. Lawrence (March 1903). ["Applegarth: Residence of Chas B. Wetmore, Esq., Center Island, Oyster Bay, L.I."](https://books.google.com/books?id=DNVAAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA27) *Architectural Record*. pp. 279–291.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-bisapp1_27-0)** Bisland, Elizabeth (October 1910). "The Building of Applegarth". *Country Life in America*. pp. 657–660.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-28)** Goodman, Matthew, *[Elizabeth Bisland's Race Around the World](https://publicdomainreview.org/essay/elizabeth-bislands-race-around-the-world)*, The *[Public Domain Review](/source/Public_Domain_Review)*, October 16, 2013 with image of Applegarth

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Sky_29-0)** ["Elizabeth Bisland"](https://nelliebly125.wordpress.com/tag/elizaeth-bisland/). *Nellie Bly in the Sky*. November 4, 2014. Retrieved November 29, 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-aj_30-0)** Kilmer, Paulette D. [Flying Around the World in 1889 - In Search of the Archetypal Wanderer](https://archive.org/stream/americanjournali16amer#page/n225/mode/2up/), in *[American Journalism](/source/American_Journalism_(journal))* (Spring (1999)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-31)** ["Bisland and Bly"](http://www.nymf.org/festival/2019-events/bisland-bly). *New York Musical Festival*. July 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-32)** ["Sycamore Theatre Company"](http://www.sycamoretheatre.org/projects). Retrieved July 18, 2019.

## External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to ***[Elizabeth Bisland](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Special:Search/Elizabeth_Bisland)***.

- [*In Seven Stages: A Flying Trip Around the World*](http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/bisland/stages/stages.html) New York: Harper and Brothers, 1891 at [A Celebration of Women Writers](http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women)

- [Works by Elizabeth Bisland](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/41668) at [Project Gutenberg](/source/Project_Gutenberg)

- [Works by Elizabeth Bisland](https://librivox.org/author/12352) at [LibriVox](/source/LibriVox) (public domain audiobooks)

- [Works by or about Elizabeth Bisland](https://archive.org/search.php?query=%28%28subject%3A%22Bisland%2C%20Elizabeth%22%20OR%20subject%3A%22Elizabeth%20Bisland%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22Bisland%2C%20Elizabeth%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22Elizabeth%20Bisland%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22Bisland%2C%20E%2E%22%20OR%20title%3A%22Elizabeth%20Bisland%22%20OR%20description%3A%22Bisland%2C%20Elizabeth%22%20OR%20description%3A%22Elizabeth%20Bisland%22%29%20OR%20%28%221861-1929%22%20AND%20Bisland%29%29%20AND%20%28-mediatype:software%29) at the [Internet Archive](/source/Internet_Archive)

Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF 2 GND FAST WorldCat National United States France BnF data Japan Italy Netherlands Vatican Israel People Trove Other IdRef Open Library 2 3 SNAC Yale LUX

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Elizabeth Bisland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Bisland) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Bisland?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.