ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVED

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Survivors of the accident -- most of whom are men between the ages of 20 and 50 -- gave harrowing accounts to Plon. Said one Swedish man: "We had our berths furthest down below the car deck. We were three in the cabin and could not sleep. Then we heard a funny, scraping sound along the wall, and then the boat began to tilt. I immediately felt that the list was so severe that it would capsize. I ran as fast as I could. There was panic. Many ran and tried to get out, and many screamed. I saw many elderly people who did not have the strength to cope."Said another: "I was in the water, and I could see a boat . . . I tried to get up into it, but it was very difficult. There was a girl holding on to me. But she had to give up and let herself go."