Ludger Sylbaris
Encyclopedia
Ludger Sylbaris born either August Cyparis or Louis-Auguste Cyparis, was an Afro-Caribbean man who travelled with the Barnum & Bailey circus
. He had become something of an early 20th century celebrity for being the (reported) sole survivor of the devastating volcanic eruption of Mt. Pelée on the French-Caribbean island of Martinique
on the 8 May 1902. This same eruption completely flattened an entire city, the "Paris of the West Indies", St. Pierre
, and killed an estimated 30-40,000 people.
he adopted in later life; Sylbaris was actually born August Cyparis or Louis-Auguste Cyparis, according to varying reports, on the Caribbean island of Martinique
. He was born around 1875, as he is said to have been around 27 years old at the time of the volcanic eruption in 1902. At this time, Sylbaris worked as a common labourer in the capital city, St. Pierre
, in the shadow of the volcano Mount Pelee
.
On the night of 7 May, 1902, the day before the eruption, Sylbaris got involved in either a bar fight or street brawl, according to various sources, and was thrown into jail overnight for assault. Some accounts claim that Sylbaris actually killed a man and was thrown into jail for murder, although it is unknown if this is the correct version of events. Many sources indicate Sylbaris was frequently in trouble with the authorities, so it is possible he was a very violent man. Some fictional accounts state that he had had a precognitive dream and was locked up as a drunk after causing a riot.
Whatever the cause of his arrest, Sylbaris was ordered to be put into solitary confinement
and locked in a single-cell, partially-underground, bomb-proof magazine with stone walls. His cell was without windows, ventilated only through a narrow grating in the door facing away from the volcano. His prison was the most sheltered building in the city, and it was this fact that saved his life. The cell he survived in still stands today.
At 7:52 the next morning, the upper mountainside of Mt. Pelee ripped open and a dense black cloud shot out horizontally. A second black cloud rolled upwards, forming a gigantic mushroom cloud and darkening the sky in fifty miles radius. The initial speed of both clouds was later calculated to over six hundred and seventy kilometers per hour. The area devastated by the pyroclastic cloud covered about 8 square miles (20.7 km²), with the city of St. Pierre taking its brunt. The cloud consisted of superheated steam and volcanic gases and dust, with temperatures reaching over 1000 °C (1,832 °F). All of the buildings in the city were flattened and the entire population burned or suffocated to death. Various reports say Sylbaris was the only survivor, while others say up to three people survived.
Four days after the eruption, a rescue team heard his cries from the rubble of the prison. Although horribly burned, he survived and was able to provide an account of the event. According to his account, at about breakfast time on the day of the eruption, it grew very dark. Hot air mixed with fine ashes entered his cell through the door grating, despite his efforts in urinating on his clothing and stuffing it in the door. The heat lasted only a short moment, enough to cause deep burns on Sylbaris' hands, arms, legs, and back, but his clothes did not ignite, and he avoided breathing the searing-hot air.
The other two survivors, according to various sources, were Léon Compère-Léandre
, a shoemaker and Havivra Da Ifrile, a little girl.
Sylbaris died of natural causes in 1929.
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
. He had become something of an early 20th century celebrity for being the (reported) sole survivor of the devastating volcanic eruption of Mt. Pelée on the French-Caribbean island of Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
on the 8 May 1902. This same eruption completely flattened an entire city, the "Paris of the West Indies", St. Pierre
Saint-Pierre, Martinique
Saint-Pierre is a town and commune of France's Caribbean overseas department of Martinique, founded in 1635 by Pierre Belain d'Esnambuc. Before the total destruction of Saint-Pierre in 1902 by a volcanic eruption, it was the most important city of Martinique culturally and economically, being known...
, and killed an estimated 30-40,000 people.
Saint-Pierre and the eruption
Ludger Sylbaris was actually the stage nameStage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
he adopted in later life; Sylbaris was actually born August Cyparis or Louis-Auguste Cyparis, according to varying reports, on the Caribbean island of Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
. He was born around 1875, as he is said to have been around 27 years old at the time of the volcanic eruption in 1902. At this time, Sylbaris worked as a common labourer in the capital city, St. Pierre
Saint-Pierre, Martinique
Saint-Pierre is a town and commune of France's Caribbean overseas department of Martinique, founded in 1635 by Pierre Belain d'Esnambuc. Before the total destruction of Saint-Pierre in 1902 by a volcanic eruption, it was the most important city of Martinique culturally and economically, being known...
, in the shadow of the volcano Mount Pelee
Mount Pelée
Mount Pelée is an active volcano at the northern end of the island and French overseas department of Martinique in the Lesser Antilles island arc of the Caribbean. Its volcanic cone is composed of layers of volcanic ash and hardened lava....
.
On the night of 7 May, 1902, the day before the eruption, Sylbaris got involved in either a bar fight or street brawl, according to various sources, and was thrown into jail overnight for assault. Some accounts claim that Sylbaris actually killed a man and was thrown into jail for murder, although it is unknown if this is the correct version of events. Many sources indicate Sylbaris was frequently in trouble with the authorities, so it is possible he was a very violent man. Some fictional accounts state that he had had a precognitive dream and was locked up as a drunk after causing a riot.
Whatever the cause of his arrest, Sylbaris was ordered to be put into solitary confinement
Solitary confinement
Solitary confinement is a special form of imprisonment in which a prisoner is isolated from any human contact, though often with the exception of members of prison staff. It is sometimes employed as a form of punishment beyond incarceration for a prisoner, and has been cited as an additional...
and locked in a single-cell, partially-underground, bomb-proof magazine with stone walls. His cell was without windows, ventilated only through a narrow grating in the door facing away from the volcano. His prison was the most sheltered building in the city, and it was this fact that saved his life. The cell he survived in still stands today.
At 7:52 the next morning, the upper mountainside of Mt. Pelee ripped open and a dense black cloud shot out horizontally. A second black cloud rolled upwards, forming a gigantic mushroom cloud and darkening the sky in fifty miles radius. The initial speed of both clouds was later calculated to over six hundred and seventy kilometers per hour. The area devastated by the pyroclastic cloud covered about 8 square miles (20.7 km²), with the city of St. Pierre taking its brunt. The cloud consisted of superheated steam and volcanic gases and dust, with temperatures reaching over 1000 °C (1,832 °F). All of the buildings in the city were flattened and the entire population burned or suffocated to death. Various reports say Sylbaris was the only survivor, while others say up to three people survived.
Four days after the eruption, a rescue team heard his cries from the rubble of the prison. Although horribly burned, he survived and was able to provide an account of the event. According to his account, at about breakfast time on the day of the eruption, it grew very dark. Hot air mixed with fine ashes entered his cell through the door grating, despite his efforts in urinating on his clothing and stuffing it in the door. The heat lasted only a short moment, enough to cause deep burns on Sylbaris' hands, arms, legs, and back, but his clothes did not ignite, and he avoided breathing the searing-hot air.
The other two survivors, according to various sources, were Léon Compère-Léandre
Léon Compere-Léandre
Léon Compère-Léandre was a shoemaker in Saint-Pierre on the French Caribbean island of Martinique when Mount Pelée erupted on May 8, 1902 and destroyed the town. He is one of only 2 known survivors....
, a shoemaker and Havivra Da Ifrile, a little girl.
With the circus
Sylbaris was pardoned of his crimes and found fame when he joined Barnum & Bailey's circus, touring America recounting the horrors of the explosion, and becoming a minor celebrity, "the man who lived through Doomsday" or "the Most Marvelous Man in the World". As part of the Barnum and Bailey's "Greatest Show on Earth", he was the first black man ever to star in the segregated show. He could be seen in a replica of his cell in St. Pierre.Sylbaris died of natural causes in 1929.