THE following account of a disastrous shipwreck which recently occurred near Dundalk, on the east coast of Ireland, cannot fail to be interesting to all who peruse it. We think it deserving of record on three accounts —1st. As an instance of repeated and persevering efforts on the part of a large number of our countrymen, at great personal risk to themselves, and with imperfect means at command, to aid their fellow-creatures in distress. An example of gallant conduct and of true Christian philanthropy worthy of being held up for approval and imitation.

—2ndly. As an illustration of the constant liability of vessels to be wrecked on every frequented part of our coasts, and the consequent duty of providing life-boats and other means of affording succour wherever such means can be made available. For it is not too much to say, that if a suitable lifeboat had been stationed at Dundalk at the time, the whole of the lives of the unfortunate men who perished might have been saved.—3rdly. As" an evidence of the necessity that exists for the supply to merchant vessels of a superior class of life-boats which might be available to save those on board them in the event of their being wrecked, [n this instance, not only had the Mary Stoddart no boat of her own which was of any service, bat the boats so gafiaatly manned from the shore were .chiefly steamers life-boats, yet they proved unequal to the work required of them. We Will, however, proceed with the narrative, taken from a local newspaper, and borne o«t by other local evidence :- - " On Tuesday morning, the 6th of April, 1858, the barque Mary Stoddaft was seen by Captain JOHNSTON, of the steamer Enterprise, Standing from Carlingford into Dundalk Bay, having her ensign union down as a flag of distress." Captain JOHNSTON writes:—" I went to her assistance, but as ft was blowing a gate, I coUld not speak her. Signalled her to make sail, as she was driving bodily towards the rocks. She then set topsail and trysail.

I made an attempt to get a hawser on board, but could hot. I then sent a life-buoy With line attached, which, however, missed. I then sent a line made fast to a cork fender, "Which she succeeded in getting, but while hauling aboard, the line broke. I then Stood by her until she was safe at anchor, it being Impossible for the barque to approach Dun - dalk, as 'the harbour was not deep enough. Left her at 1 1/2 PM. After being six tours and ten minutes by her, and after the captain landed down his flag of distress, to show that lie felt secure. There was a very high tea running at the time." Next day it was determined to send the Steamer Independence to relieve the Mary Stoddatt, and if possible tow her to Carling-ford Bay. At 3 1/2 PM. the Independence, Captain BRYAN, commanding, and having Captain JOHNSTON and others on board, Steamed down the rivet, and after crossing 'the bar at considerable risk, reached within some distance of the Mary Stoddart.

Captain JOHNSTON volunteered to go on board, and a boat was towered with much difficulty, and four men, with Captain JOHNSTON, entered it, and pulled to the barque.

A life-buoy attached to a rope was l&thrown and he hauled up the side of the vessel, He stopped on board for a short time, the small boat remaining near the barque when the gale having increased,he deemed it prudent not to attempt to reach the steamer; he therefore wrote a short note, and tying it up with three or four iron nails, flung it into the boat, when the men pulled to the steamer and got safely on board, having been hauled up With ropes. Captain JOHNSTON stated in the note that he had consulted With Captain HILL, and requested that the steamer might keep tit sea till morning when Captain BRKNE would fee signalled what to do. The Independence accordingly steamed off to seaward encountering a fearful hurricane, the sea having been one of the roughest ever encountered. For five and a-half hours she gallantly braved all the fury of the elements; but in turning to retrace her course, a tremendous sea struck her on the larboard bow, and damaged a portion of her bulwarks. On coming to where she had left the barque on the previous evening, it was discovered that she had either broken from or dragged her anchors, and had drifted, in a southerly direction, one a»d a-half miles, where she was aground in about twelve feet of water. Here she made a bed in the sand, and lay with her stern to the storm. At high water her deck was covered more than five feet, and the crew were obliged to take shelter in the rigging, but they came down on the poop after each tide had ebbed away.

On Thursday morning, the storm still blowing fiercely, the life-boat belonging to the Enterprise was brought on a cart, some distance south of Soldiers' Point, where she was manned with A hardy crew. The sea was running very high, but, nothing daunted, these brave fellows faced die storm; and after straggling with all their might to reach the barque, and incurring great danger, they were obliged to return to shore, the labour and cold having completely exhausted them.

At the same time, Mr. JOHN agent of the Shipwrecked Fieherman Mariners' Society, was at Blackrock, and succeeded in manning two boats, into one of which he was the first to enter. These two boats made 'every effort to reach the barque, -and encountered great danger, being 'once or twice nearly fitted and swamped.

After an ineffectual but 'brave struggle, and going within half a mile of the vessel, both boats were obliged to retrain.

About fifteen minutes after Mr. CONNICK'S boats had started, Captain KELLY, of the steamer Pride of Erin, arrived at Blackrock, and, with his accustomed courage and generous zeal, prevailed on 6 men for II.

each to accompany him, and they were soon struggling with the waves and storm. The vessel was fully three miles from the shore, and the boats steered about due east towards her. Captain KELLY'S boat had gone within a mile of her, when her crew became exhausted from cold and fatigue, and were reluctantly compelled to return.

And thus Thursday passed away, the storm still raging, without any succour arriving to the ship's crew or poor Captain JOHNSTON, on whose behalf the most intense feeling of commiseration was felt in Dundalk.

The gale continued with such fury that it was feared the dawn of Friday morning would not find a trace of the ill-fated vessel, except the scattered fragments, and that all on board would perish.

On Friday morning the gale still continued with great fury. It was then determined to get the tug-boat's steam up, which was effected before eight o'clock, the time of high water; but this boat could not be got to work, owing to some disarrangement in a portion of her machinery. Captain KELLY, finding that the steam-tug was not fit for the service required, launched a boat belonging to the Pride of Erin, and with his crew of 6 men pulled away down the river from Dundalk, on his last voyage.

Captain HINDS followed with his crew in the life-boat of the Independence.

At half-past ten o'clock, Mr. LEWIS, mate of the Earl of Erne, volunteered to go out from Blackrock to the barque, in the lifeboat of he Enterprise, which had been there on the previous day. In the boat with him were Mr. GILMORE, first mate of the Pride of Erin, some of the crew of the Independence, and one or two persons belonging to Blackrock.

The storm still raged with much fury, and the waves were very difficult to encounter, being short, and rising to a great height, the boats dropping from them bows foremost, and presenting a fearful appearance to those on shore.

In the mean time the two boats from Dundalk had neared the wreck, and placed themselves as close as possible on her lee side, and Captain KELLY called on Captain JOHNSTON to go on the poop and jump into his boat. Captain JOHNSTON stated that he was too weak to make the effort, and Captain KELLY said to the crews of both boats that they could render no assistance to the crew.

They then commenced to pull for the shore, when a tremendous wave struck Captain KELLY'S boat and capsized her. The captain and crew with a great struggle succeeded in getting upon her bottom, but were no sooner there than she wag struck by another wave, and all were dashed into the sea, and the boat righted. Part of the crew succeeded in getting into her, and Captain KELLY was seen about twenty yards off, and making an effort to swim, but he presently disappeared, The capsized boat had lost its oars, and now drifted at the. mercy of the seas.

It was then taken in tow by the life-boat of the Enterprise, which started frqm Blackrock, and which came up at the time. One of the crew was taken out dead, a second died subsequently from exhaustion, and the body of a third was washed ashore.

About one o'clock a noble effort was made by a number of men who launched a boat from Tipping's Quay, Ballurgan, opposite Soldiers' Point. This boat was manned by a crew of eight persons. With much difficulty and at great risk they succeeded in getting alongside the wreck, but the unfortunate persons on board appear to have been too weak to get into her, and a heavy sea striking the boat, broke her adrift, and she was compelled to return unsuccessful to the shore.

Thus Friday closed, and darkness came on without any apparent prospect of saying the lives of the sufferers. The storm had lulled, but the sea was very violent. Every preparation was made for a last effort on the following morning to relieve Captain JoHNSTON and the crew, and provided they could not send out a steamer, to telegraph for tile Drogheda life-boat.

But friends were at work which no one in Dundalk was aware of. At 5 p.M a boat put off from Gyles's Quay, nearly opposite Soldiers' Point, in charge of ROBERT SHANKEY, chief boatman of the Coast Guard, and manned by coast-guardmen and fishermen, and at 8 P.M. the joyful intelligence arrived in Dundalk that Captain JOHNSTON and six of the crew had been landed at- Soldiers' Point Their hands and legs were much swollen: one of them had a cut on his head, which he received from a fall from the rigging whilst asleep, and had there not been two or three feet of water over the vessel, he would have been killed.

After landing this first instalment of the wrecked party, and exchanging two of iis own men, who were exhausted, for fresh hands, Mr. SHANKEY retained to the wreck, and taking off the captain and the remainder of the crew, landed them in safety at 6 A.M. on the 10th.

They had had no food from Tuesday until Friday, and they suffered dreadfully from thirst, the only drink within their reach being two bottles of sauce, of which they drank a couple of spoonfuls occasionally. On Friday two small tins of preserved meat were washed on deck, and were divided amongst the survivors. Captain JOHNSTON had a sort of awning erected at the stern, which gave much shelter; but when at full tide the water covered her deck, all were obliged to go aloft. Four men died in the rigging, and three were washed off the deck.

On Thursday night Captain JOHNSTON was in the rigging, and two men who were beside him died. He did not notice this till th£ knees of one of them were pressing on his back, when he requested him not to lean so heavily on him, and no reply having been given, he turned round and saw that the two men were dead.

During the long period that had intervened between the time of the first unavailing efforts being made to rescue the unfortunate sufferers and those which were ultimately crowned with success, no less than ten boats had put off on the same mission of mercy.

To those in command of the several boats, and also to Captain JOHNSTON, whose brave conduct in the first instance entailed on him so much suffering, THE NATIONAL LIFEBOAT INSTITUTION awarded its Silver Medal in acknowledgment of their gallant and meritorious services. A collection in aid of the families of the unfortunate men who perished, and for the purpose of awarding the gallant crews of the several boats which had proceeded to their aid, was also made in the locality, under the direction of the Mayor and civil authorities, to which fund the Institution also contributed the sum of 501.

The Committee of Management of the Institution have likewise offered to establish a life-boat station at Dundalk, if the locality will contribute a sufficient sum towards the first cost, and annual maintenance of the same to justify their doing so.

We have reason to hope that such will be the case, and that, in the event of a similar disaster taking place at any future period in the same vicinity, a more perfect machinery will be hi existence to meet it.