Bertha, it's tough drilling underground, right? At least you only hits shells

Bill Lucia Jul 9, 2025

Feb 6, 2018

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          <article>
            <header>
              <hgroup>
                <h1>Bertha, it's tough drilling underground, right? At least you only hits shells</h1>
                <h2><p>"Huge drill almost skewers packed subway car." That was the New York Post headline for a story describing how workers yesterday mistakenly drove a 10-inch-diameter construction drill bit down into a Queens subway tunnel, grazing the side of a train loaded with passengers.

The bit was just inches</p></h2>
              </hgroup>
               <p>By <a href="/author/bill-lucia-crosscut-com/">Bill Lucia</a></p> 
              <p><time datetime="2025-02-04T05:00:00-08:00">Feb 6, 2018</time></p>
            </header>
            <p>"Huge drill almost skewers packed subway car." That was the New York Post headline for a story describing how workers yesterday mistakenly drove a 10-inch-diameter construction drill bit down into a Queens subway tunnel, grazing the side of a train loaded with passengers.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="http://crosscut.com/media/story_image/Screen_Shot_2014-10-31_at_10.59.21_AM.png" class="kg-image" alt loading="lazy"></figure><p>The bit was just inches away from piercing the top of the moving subway. None of the approximately 800 riders onboard were hurt. Workers were using the drill to bore a de-watering well for New York's massive East Side Access project, which involves constructing new rail tunnels in Manhattan and Queens. A New York Metropolitan Transit Authority source told the New York Daily News, "Some people don’t follow instructions; they drilled deeper than they were supposed to.” The incident happened on the F line, moments after the train departed 21st Street station. The Daily News ran the story on the cover of today's paper, with this headline.<br><br></p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="http://crosscut.com/media/story_image/subway_drill.jpg" class="kg-image" alt loading="lazy"></figure><p><br><br>—  B.L.</p>
          </article>

"Huge drill almost skewers packed subway car." That was the New York Post headline for a story describing how workers yesterday mistakenly drove a 10-inch-diameter construction drill bit down into a Queens subway tunnel, grazing the side of a train loaded with passengers.

The bit was just inches away from piercing the top of the moving subway. None of the approximately 800 riders onboard were hurt. Workers were using the drill to bore a de-watering well for New York's massive East Side Access project, which involves constructing new rail tunnels in Manhattan and Queens. A New York Metropolitan Transit Authority source told the New York Daily News, "Some people don’t follow instructions; they drilled deeper than they were supposed to.” The incident happened on the F line, moments after the train departed 21st Street station. The Daily News ran the story on the cover of today's paper, with this headline.

— B.L.

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By Bill Lucia

Bill Lucia writes about Seattle City Hall and politics for Crosscut. He can be reached at bill.lucia@crosscut.com and you can follow him on Twitter @bill_lucia.