Hurricane Ike Mystery Ship

Hurricane Ike Mystery Ship, originally uploaded by Christy Williams
Hurricane Ike Digs up a Mystery Ship

Hurricane Ike scraped its way across the southern United States, leaving a wake of destruction in its path. But on a beach in Alabama, the storm unearthed unexpected treasure in the form of a mysterious shipwreck.

According to news reports, the nautical ruins, which had previously been buried under sand at Fort Morgan, reveal a "badly burned" ship that is 150 feet long and built of heavy timbers. Some local citizens have wondered whether the wreckage could be the long-sought Ivanhoe, a steamship designed to evade Union blockades during the Civil War.