It's inspiring to me too, that kind of stuff is what got me into engineering. I prefer making explosives though. You can dig temporary canals that fall in on themselves because you haven't provided proper wall support in a couple months no problem. For example the suez canal was completed in 1869. So they had the tech to make really good long lasting canals, which took a long time. This would have been way easier and they likely would have used water and horse power to move the dirt quickly. Remember it's a lot easier to make stuff when it's not built to last. Just look at all the cheap shit we get from China that they produce in a day that breaks in a week. Tesla is one of the greatest modern inventors and it is a shame we lost his lab and many of his prototypes because of those bastards. Luckily a lot of his technology and research remains available and is used all across the world.