There's a documentary out there that details how NYC tunnel construction worked back then. Basically almost war-like propaganda about how working on the tunnel

There's a documentary out there that details how NYC tunnel construction worked back then. Basically almost war-like propaganda about how working on the tunnel was good for you and the country, how you are chicken if you don't go down in there, etc. They got it done fast by literally throwing people at the tunnel and scooping out their remains. Then they had the papers run propaganda to cover up incidents and recruit more bodies. Incidentally, they basically had the human powered version of a TBM frame back then and still had people dying left and right. Times are a little different now....a little hard to have people dying every hour on a construction job