The Ashleigh Brook.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 477, 4 June 1890, Page 6

The Ashleigh Brook.

TOTALLY LOST NEAR CAPETOWN.

ALL HANDS SAVED.

This afternoon news was received by cable from London of the total loss of a fine large steamer employed in the New Zealand and Australian frozen meat trade Home, the s.s. Ashleigh Brook. The cable, a very brief one, stated that the steamer had been wrecked at Dassen, near Capetown, while bound from London to Rockhampton and New Zealand. All hands were safely landed. The Ashleigh Brook was one of the Colonial Union line of steamers. She was a vessel of 2,928 tons net register, and was finely fitted up in every respect for the cairiage of frozen meat. She was w r ell known in New Zealand porta.

She left London on April 23rd for Melbourne en route to Rockhampton, and it was probably after leaving Capetown that she went ashore at Dassen. She is not likely to have had much cargo. A telegram from Napier this afternoon says :—The news of the wreck of the Ashleigh Brook has caused some concern here to shippers of frozen meat. She was to have come hero to take 16,000 carcases for Home. The loss ot any freezing vessel is severely felt, o-ving to the pressure on storage space at the freezing works. The Ashleigh Brook had for several years past been engaged in the frozen meat trade between the colonies and London. She was a fine useful boat, and could stow away a very large cargo. She was built at Stockton (England), in 1882, and was a steel screw steamer.