Though a century and a half has passed since the publication of Jules Verne’s Around the World in Eighty Days, that novel still resonates with and delights us today. We’ve been blog-touring along with Phileas Fogg and we’ve just reached New York City.
Fogg had put 20,963 miles behind him since leaving London on October 2, which was 85.4% of the total distance. However, he’d used up 87.5% of the wagered time. He had to board the steamer to Liverpool on time to have a chance.
From Chicago, Fogg and his group took the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne, and Chicago railway to NYC. For once, nothing much happened. Verne spent little time describing the trip, which concluded at 11:15pm. Sad to say, the Cunard steamer China had left the pier 45 minutes earlier.
The PFW&C Railway did exist. It formed in 1862 as a result of a reorganization of a predecessor railroad that had foreclosed.
The Cunard Line steamer China existed as well. A three-masted steamship, she made regular New York-to-Liverpool runs. Some 18 years after her 1862 launching, Cunard sold her to the Spanish Government who renamed her “Magallanes.” In 1889, Spain sold her to Norway, who renamed her “Theodore,” and converted her to a four masted bark. In 1906, she went missing on her way from Tampa to Yokohama.
In 1872, New York City reigned as the most populous city in the U.S., with over 942,000 residents. Abraham Oakey Hall served as its 79th mayor. Today, NYC remains the most populous city in the country, with a population exceeding 8,467,000 people. Eric Adams is the mayor.
It took Fogg around 31 hours to ride the train between Chicago and New York. Today a 2-hour flight shortens that trip by a lot.
In previous posts, I’ve listed my first and second favorite screen adaptations of Verne’s novel. I’ve chosen the most recent as my third favorite, the 8-episode 2021 BBC TV miniseries starring David Tennant, Ibrahim Koma, and Leonie Benesch. This adaptation really tried to give the story a modern flair—perhaps too much—but succeeded in putting the characters into more trying circumstances, dire straits, and hopeless situations than the novel did.
Things may look hopeless for Phileas Fogg since he missed sailing aboard the China, but a slim chance may remain for him to win his wager. One way you can find out if he’ll succeed is to keep reading blogposts by—
Poseidon’s Scribe