The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1915-01-15
OUR ENGINEERS.

90. H. Ensign. Reclamation Record
| y. II. Ensign, chief electrical en-
glneer of the Reclamation Service,
was born in 1868 at Ithaca, N. " He
| obtained the ordinary common and
high school education and entered
Cornell at the age of IL in the course
OF mechanical arts, but after two
years was compelled to leave and de-
vote his energies to earning a living.
From 1882 to 1893 he worked success
sively as foreman of machine shop at
Ithaca, Subforeman and tool maker in
the Schenectady Locomotive Works;
troubleman and in charge of isolated
plants for the Edison United Co of
New York state, foreman of tests and
chief inspector and assistant superin-
tendent OF the General Electric Works
at Schenectady, N. Y.
In 1898 Mr.. Ensign moved to Cali
lorna and was appointed Inspector
and consulting engineer of the Red
lands Light and Power Co., starting
the tlrst three-phase plant in America
during that year. From 1894 to 1896
he held the position of electrical and
mechanical engineer and supernten-
gent, constructing and operating the
1zO
Angeles and Santa Monica Electric
railway systems, and in March, 1896,
was appointed superintendent of the
Redlands Light and Power Co.
During the fall of 1896 Mr.. Ensign
proposed the 83-mile 33,OOO-volt trans
mission line to Los Angeles, which he
afterwards constructed as superin-
tendent and chief electrical and me-
he
California Power Co. This was the
first extreme long-distance transmits
sion line and the first of this type
thoroughly planned out, and it is Still
operating as originally constructed,
with very small amount Of repairs
or changes, and was the epoch-mak-
ing plant in power transmission, the
beginning of the great development
which now carries such large capital
investment,
This company was merged into the
Los Angeles Edison Co., and Mr.. En-
sign remained with the organization
until November, 1904, at which time
he entered the Reclamation service.
His first work was in connection with
the Roosevelt power plant, for which
he prepared the specifications and
made the general plans for the install
lation of the machinery; next came
the Strawberry Valley plant, built in
connection with the construction Of
the Strawberry tunnel. During his
years of service with the Reclamation
Service Mr.. Ensign has been respon-
srble for the following power plants
Salt River project.-Roosevelt pow
er plant, South Consolidated, Arizona
Falls, Crosscut, pumping plants and
substations.
Minidoka project.-Power plant,
three large pumping stations, and
several small ones.
Boise project.-Power plant.
T. Strawberry Valley project.-Power
plant.
Huntley project-Special pumping
station.
Rio Grande project.-Elephant
Butte steam power plant.
All transmission and distribution
systems for delivering power from
these plants.
The journal of Electricity, Power,
and Gas in the issue of May, 1902,
commented on Mr.. Ensign:
Mr.. Ensign posses one of those
lndlvidualities perhaps best character
lied as original and interchangeable.
Lack of precedent is no obstacle to
him indeed, he brushes precedent
away as he does physical discom-
fort or inconvience. His whole soul
is in his work, as it always has been,
and that is the chief reason why he
has risen to the eminence which he
holds in the history and present status
of the electric power transmission in
dustry of America.