Hurricane Isaac Washes A Mysterious Shipwreck To Shore In Alabama

I have seen a hurricanes fury up close and personal as I lost virtually everything because of Katrina. But in all the bad that a hurricane does, it may have uncovered the underwater remains of a blockade-runner vessel onto a beach in Alabama.

No one knows for sure, but according to the Birmingham News, many believe it could be a Civil War-era vessel dating all the way back to 1862.

The above picture is from a Facebook post that reads, "Look what Isaac uncovered!" Meyer Vacation Rentals, a local real estate company, is responsible for the posting of several pictures of the wreckage on its fan page.

There is still no real certainty on just how old the 136-foot-long ship actually is, with some even speculating that it may be just a simple rum runner that sank during the Prohibition years. This is actually the fourth time parts of a wreckage have washed to shore over the years. Some debris was first made visible following Hurricane Camille in 1969. It then showed up again in 2004 after Hurricane Ivan and again in 2008 after Hurricane Ike.

"Based on what we know of ships lost in that area and what I've seen, the Monticello is by far the most likely candidate," Museum of Mobile marine archaeologist Shea McLean told the Birmingham News in 2008. "You can never be 100 percent certain unless you find the bell with `Monticello' on it, but this definitely fits."