USS Canonicus (ID-1696)
The second USS "Canonicus" was the Southern Pacific freighter "El Cid" temporarily converted for planting the World War I North Sea Mine Barrage. Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company launched "El Cid" at Newport News, Virginia on 7 October 1899 for service between New York City and Gulf of Mexico seaports of New Orleans and Galveston, Texas. The United States Shipping Board took control of the ship from Southern Pacific Steamship Company in 1917. She was fitted out for United States Navy service by Morse Dry Dock and Repair Company at Brooklyn, New York. Work began  on 22 November 1917. Gun platforms were added for two anti-aircraft guns forward and a 5"/51 caliber gun aft. The minelaying conversion enabled her to carry mines on three decks, and included six Otis elevators individually capable of transferring two mines every 20 seconds from the storage decks to the launching deck. Stern ports were cut for launching the mines and the rudder quadrant was raised to give adequate clearance. Watertight subdivision was improved by strengthening existing bulkheads and building two new bulkheads to divide the largest compartments so the ship might stay afloat if only one compartment were  flooded. Quarters were enlarged to accommodate messing and berthing arrangements for a crew of about 400. The main machinery was overhauled and auxiliary machinery was added for the elevators, for heating the berthing spaces, for refrigerated food storage, for additional fresh water distilling capacity, for magazine sprinklers and galley and washroom plumbing, and enlarged electric generators for lighting and radio communications. Existing coal bunkers on the third deck were replaced with a bunker in the hold forward of the boiler room with chutes to load coal over the mines. Larger boats and heavier anchors required larger davits and anchor windlass , and the mines required specialized handling machinery. USS "Canonicus" was commissioned on 2 March 1918 with Commander Thomas L. Johnson, USN, in command. "Canonicus" cleared Newport, Rhode Island on 12 May 1918 and reached Inverness, Scotland on 27 May 1918. While operating as part of Mine Squadron 1 from 7 June until the close of the war on 11 November 1918, "Canonicus": "Canonicus" returned to Hampton Roads, Virginia, on 3 January 1919 and was assigned to the Cruiser and Transport Force on 7 February 1919. She made three voyages as a troop transport between the United States East Coast and  France, returning 4,166 troops to the United States. "Canonicus" was decommissioned on 7 August 1919 and returned to the Southern Pacific Steamship Company. Big Four. In the words of British Rear Admiral Lewis Clinton-Baker, the North Sea mine barrage was the "biggest mine planting stunt in the world's history." The United States converted eight civilian steamships as minelayers for the 100,000 mines manufactured for the barrage. The largest of these were four freighters owned by Southern Pacific Steamship Company. Southern Pacific Transportation Company had evolved from the First Transcontinental Railroad to become the dominant transportation provider in California . Owners of the original Central Pacific Railroad were known as the Big Four. Sailors similarly referred to these former Southern Pacific ships as the Big Four.