Newspapers / The Fieldcrest Mill Whistle … / Sept. 12, 1955, edition 1 / Page 6
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Visit To Switzerland, Sweden Described by Moberg Editor’s note: Mr. Moberg, development engineer, and John T. MMlsaac manager of the Mechanical Development Dept, recently visited textile mills and textile machinery manufacturers in European countries. Mr. Moberg vfas asked to write an account ot the trip for a Swedish publication. He gave permission for the story to be carried serially in the Mill Whistle. In today’s installment he writes of Switzerland and Sweden. By IVOR O. MOBERG In Switzerland, as in Germany, we ran into the pre- Lenten festival. All hours during the night we could hear bands and drummers parading through the city. The peo ple were dressed up in all kinds of fancy costumes, singing, dancing, playing and laughing in the street. On Sunday we witnessed one of the finest parades we have ever seen. 'We saw intricate floats, fancy bicycle riding, unicycle rid ing, comical floats, giant men, grotesque figures and an invasion of our planet by Martians. An enormously big tank, almost as high as the houses, manned by queer looking Martians with built in antenna on their cranium fired ray machine guns in all directions. It really gave us an inkling about what might happen some time in the future when the planet Mars tries to invade our earth. The next day, Monday, was a holiday terminating the festival. The day we were to leave for Sweden we were picked up by a representative of Sulzer Loom Works and taken to their large plants in Winterthur. We inspected the ingenious Sulzer shutterless looms in action. After spending all pos sible time at Sulzer we were taken out for lunch by them. At 4:15 p.m. we left Zurich airport on a SAS DC-6 plane with Sweden as goal. The flight took us across Germany over part of Baltic Sea and into Denmark. We stopped at Kastrup Airport near Copenhagen to change planes for Stockholm, Sweden. Leaving Copenhagen at 6:50 p.m. we flew diagonal ly across southern Sweden and landed at Broma Airport near Stockholm at 9:00 p.m. We passed the Swedish custom inspection which was the toughest yet. Strangely enough, the Swedish custom inspectors did not give a hoot about what we had in our bags but they were very much con cerned with the amount of Swedish money we had with us. They handed us a long questionnaire in duplicate that we had to fill out. How much Swedish money in cash, how much in travelers checks, how much in letters of credit, etc. were the things they wanted to know. The amount of American money we had with us was not in question. Finally we had filled the questionnaire out and our bags passed without interrogation. We v/ent to Grand Hotel in Stockholm where we had rooms reserved. It was a magnificent hotel located right across the Norrstrom from the Swedish Royal Palace. Having registered, the desk clerk gave us a key for our room and directed us how to find it. We inquired about our luggage. “It is already in your room,” replied the clerk. We went to the elevator and pressed the button. In Sweden you run your own elevator. They have special elevators for the lug gage, and when we entered our rooms our luggage was there. There was no waiting for elevator service. It was late when we went down to the dining room for dinner. It was a very large and beautiful dining room in horseshoe shape around the orchestra and the sunken dance floor. We were seated at a table by a very polite head waiter. By now we had acquired the French, German, and Swiss customs to have wine with the meals. We ordered a bottle which was imported from France. Swedes do not make wine so there was no bragging about it. Next morning we got up early to go to Norrkoping, fam ous Swedish textile center. Before we left Grand Hotel we ^ looked across the Norrstrom toward the Royal Palace. We ( were amazed by the thousands of water fowls on the Norr- Strom which is a canal-like body of water. There were all kinds of wild ducks, geese, swans, water hens, etc. Never : before have we seen so many birds in one place. We arrived at Norrkoping where we were to inspect the Maxbo shuttleless high speed looms. We were met at the station by a Mr. Holmgren and proceeded at once to the Maxbo Loom Works. Here we met Mr. Paabo, the inventor of the loom. We saw these looms in action. The looms are _ vertical in contrast to conventionally horizontal. The fillini is blown across the loom by air jet at delivery end and pick' ed up by vacuum at the receiving end. The speed was 350 P.P.M. which is an extremely high speed for a loom. That evening we were taken out to Geta Turist Hotel at Braviken. It was a very beautiful country, even in tlJ® winter when we were there. Braviken, the deep inland bay from the Baltic Sea, with the enormously large KolmardeD Forest bordering it has been called the Riveria of Sweder>' Here is also located the Marble Works, where the famous Kolmarden marble is broken. Next morning we got up early to take the train bad* to Norrkoping. We were met at the station by Mr. Paab" who took us on a sightseeing tour through the city. In tW afternoon we took the train back to Stockholm and Gran Hotel. There we remained another day in which we had ^ chance to see part of Stockholm. Next day we were ready for the 458 kilometer trip Gothenburg on the Swedish west coast. We had plane tickets to Gothenburg but so many had told us not to miss a trip on the Swedish railroads, the finest in Europe. Hence, changed our plane ticket to that of a train. A little afte^ noon we boarded the “London Arrow” for Gothenburg whef® plane or boat connections to London could be had by peopl® going there. Punctually on time, the “London Arrow” pull' ed out of the station and under gleaming electrodes over' head, sped the train in the early setting “midnight sun” to', ward Sweden’s west coast where we had not been for “ years. The Swedish trains were all that had been said abo^* them. Electrically powered, they were conspicously clea^’; comfortable, quietly running and speedy. We rode in class for very few of the Swedish trains carr) 1st class. A steward from the dining car pasS'* ed through the trains at intervals announciP® that meals are served. We requested a pla'^® in the dining car and the steward gave tickets stating the time we could occupy ll'* seat. Thus, there was no waiting in the dll’' ing car for seats. tH' A uniformed hostess came through train emptying the ash trays and dusting 0^ the tables and window sills. We could dete^* no dust so the dusting seemed to us supe*^” fluous. The Swedish trains are essential^^ electrically driven since Sweden has neither coal nor oil, b** but an abundance of water power. An electric power 1*’’* of 380,000 volts, highest voltage in the world, runs fr^’’! Harspranget Power Station in northern Sweden to south Sweden under the water of Kattegot Sound, and into Dei’ mark. The mighty rivers of northern Sweden provide eie*^ trie power all over the country. (Continued next issue) FIELDCREST MILL WHIST^
The Fieldcrest Mill Whistle (Spray, N.C.)
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Sept. 12, 1955, edition 1
6
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