by Molly McCall

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.

Not likely, says the Naval Times, adding that the vessel is probably "some type of rum runner" from the Prohibition-era. That still sounds pretty cool to us—and to searchers, too. Queries for "hurricane ike mystery ship" are climbing the Search charts, while articles on the anonymous vessel have floated upwards in Buzz.