The Montana was a 236 foot long iron paddle steamer. She was en route from London, England to Wilmington, North Carolina carrying a cargo for the Confederate effort, which qualified her as a blockade runner. After a long voyage across the Atlantic, Captain Pittman decided to refuel in Bermuda before attempting to run blockades in the height of the American Civil War. On December 30, 1863 while trying to navigate the Western Blue Cut channel, the Montana hit the shallow reefs off of Bermuda and sank in 30 feet of water, where she now sits. After nearly 150 years on the shallow bottom on our barrier reef, much of the wreck of the Montana has collapsed on itself. The bow or front of the ship remains intact, as do her steam engines and paddle wheels which have become home to many different species of fish.
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