CORTHELL, Ehner Lawrence, engineer, born 30 September, 1840. He left Brown University to enlist for three years at the beginning of the civil war, and was promoted to be captain of artillery. Returning to the University after his discharge, he was graduated in 1867, then studied civil engineering with S. born Cushing, of Providence, and went to Illinois as assistant engineer in the construction of the Hannibal and Naples railroad in 1868. He was chief engineer of the Spy island levee in 1871, became chief assistant engineer on the Mississippi jetties in 1874, chief engineer in the construction of the New York, West Shore, and Buffalo railroad in 1881, and in 1883 was appointed chief engineer of the Tehuantepec ship-railway. He has published a "History of the Jetties at the Mouth of the Mississippi River" (New York, 1881).