A correspondent residing in Washington sends us a slip that contains the following facts in regard to a collection :
A collection embracing all the different varieties of projectiles used during the war of the Rebellion, which has been mi de at the United States arsenal In this city, and systematically arranged in an apartment in one of the arsenal buildings specially fitted up for the purpose. Shelves are ranged completely round the room, while the center Is occupied toy two stands, upon which the shells and other projectiles are placed in regular order. In addition to all the projectiles used by the Union forces, the collection includes a great variety of shells, solid shot, etc., many of English manufacture, which have been captured from the Rebels. Among those used by the Union forces we observed the James projectile, which was used to great advantage in the reduction of Fort Pulaski, In the earlier days of the Rebellion. The inventor unfortunately lost his life while engaged in exhibiting his shells to several foreign officers and others. It appears that a workman attempted to remove a cap from a shell with a pair of pliers, when it exploded instantly killing the workman and General James, who was assisting him, and severely injuring several of the bystanders.
Several ingeniously constructed torpedoes, designed to be used in destroying the vessels of a blockading squadron, are suspended from the ceiling. Three of the torpedoes, taken from the James River, are constructed of common casks with conical floats attached to each end. They were to be allowed to float down the stream with the current, until they arrived in close proximity to the Federal ship-of-war, and were then to be exploded by means of a cord attached.
Upon one of the shelves we observed a number of Singularly-shaped projectiles termed darts, Invented by Floyd when Secretary of War, and by him forwarded to the arsenal for trial.
A collection of hand grenades of different patterns will engage the attention of visitors to the model room. One grenade is in the form of a hollow sphere designed to*be filled with powder. From the outer surface a number of common gun nipples project, upon which percussion caps are placed. The grenades are to be used to repel an assault of an enemy upon a fortification, and as they explode with bright light concussion, they would undoubtedly prove exceedingly destructive to the assaulting party. The Adams grenade is made in a similar shape, only differing in the manner in which it is exploded. It is the invention of a private in the army, who had observed that the hand grenades in general use frequently failed to explode. The hollow globe contains the explosive matter and a common fuse, over which is placed a friction primer. To the primer a lanyard several yards in length is attached, one extremity of which is securely held in the hand of the person using the grenade. The projectile is thrown in any desired direction, and when it reaches the end of its lanyard, the friction-primer is suddenly jerked out igniting the fulminating powder in the fuse, and consequently exploding the grenade.
The collection contains a single specimen of a fire-ball, composed of highly combustible materials, which, when ignited, produce a powerful white light. It take3 fire when discharged from the cannon, and is intended to be thrown in the direction of any point where the enemy pre supposed to be engaged in throwing up entrenchments at night, in order that their correct position and the number of troops engaged in building them may be ascertained. The collection also contains a number of Hale's war rockets, which were extensively used in McClellan's Army during the disastrous campaign on the Peninsula.
The model room has been fitted up, and the shells and other projectiles carefully arranged under the supervision of Thomas Taylor, Esq., of the rifle shell department. Every article in the collection is numbered, and Mr. Taylor is at present engaged in compiling a descriptive book to contain the names, distinguishing features, history, etc., of each individual shell or other projectile in the collection.
