Miss Nellie Bly Special
The Miss Nellie Bly Special was a one-time, record-breaking passenger train operated by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway from San Francisco, California to Chicago, Illinois for reporter Nellie Bly. The train was chartered by Bly's employer, New York World owner Joseph Pulitzer. Bly sought to best the fictional record of Phileas Fogg as documented in Jules Verne's novel Around the World in Eighty Days. Bly began her trek eastward from New York City in November 1889, arriving in San Francisco on January 21, 1890.
As a result of rough weather on her Pacific crossing, she arrived in San Francisco on the White Star Line ship Oceanic on January 21, two days behind schedule, however, World owner Pulitzer chartered a private train to bring her home, and she arrived back in New Jersey on January 25, 1890, at 3:51 p.m.
The specially missioned train set new speed records over the line, completing the journey in 69 hours, averaging in the process. Along the way, Bly presented each division superintendent with a quart of Mumm's Extra Dry Champagne. In the end, Bly's trip around the world took just 72 days.
