Meanwhile, Ryan loses his job after Henry publishes the photograph of the sandhogs fighting. Ten workers, known as sandhogs died during a construction accident. During the brawl, Katherine photographs Ryan as he's beating up the other sandhogs. Sandhogs began digging the tunnel from that end. Workers who worked inside the piers were called sandhogs. Sandhogs underwent such decompressions 756,000 times throughout the course of construction.