SEQUELS: In Disaster's Wake

The collision at sea between Andrea Doria and Stockholm directly involved some 2,000 people, but the details of how and why it happened were secrets known only to a handful of officers aboard both ships. Last week both sides finally told their stories—stories that differed so wildly on basic facts that they raised more questions than they answered.

The Swedish Case. Stockholm, by her version, was cruising easterly at 18 knots on the night of July 25. She sailed a moderate sea with little wind and a shining moon. Though other ships reported...