In the sea town Flushing, province Zealand were in 1870 some sailors of the USS Franklin buried when she while visiting this harbour was harassed by the smallpox
The Dutch newspaper Middelburgsche Courant dated 9 July 1870 reported her arrival the same morning (the 8th) at Flushing coming from Lisbon, Portugal. The edition dated Tuesday 19th reported that a day earlier a train arrived at Flushing coming from Antwerp, Belgium. Most of the passengers on board of the train apparently intended to visit the Franklin but were not allowed to enter the USS Franklin. The reason for this refusal was unknown. On Saturday evening the orchestra of the Franklin played some music pieces. The edition dated the 22nd explained the earlier refusal. Since the day before was she put under quarantine. The sick seamen suffering from smallpox were landed and specially equipped premises nursed. Another Dutch newspaper Zierikzeesche Nieuwsbode dated 30 July supplied more details. In an item dated Flushing24 July was reported that the smallpox harassed the Franklin in a severe manner. Of her crew were already 43 men nursed in a separate building belonging to the local hospital. According to the rumours was the whole crew ordered to leave the ship and stay temporarily in the large at that moment empty arsenal. The ship herself was purified by means of fumigation. The edition of the latter newspaper dated 2 August published an item dated Flushing 29 July reporting that the epidemic was now ending while since the last three days no new diseases were added. Daily was the ship purified by means of fumigation. Of the crew had 58 men been sick although some already returned recovered back on board. On that moment no one of the sick men died.
The newspaper Middelburgsche Courant dated 17 August reported quite other news. A day before were nine American sailors arrested because of bad behaviour. The local police requested their arrest and some American marines went with a coach from Flushing to Middelburg to take over the sailors. In the evening at 21.00 o’clock were they brought back on board. The Zierikzeesche Courant dated the 31st published an even more negative item dated Flushing 26 August. It was believed that the Franklin was to depart the same week but that two other US ships were to come in her place. Despite the visit had been profitable for the town Flushing the local police was less enthusiastic. Apparently there had been several brawls and were sailors with bloody heads turned back on board. Some sailors were even arrested during a visit to Middelburg and beat everything is broken in the jail. The next day they returned handcuffed to the ship. The officers however were very polite and highly civilized. The band for the main part consisting of Italian musicians and played excellently. But there was also positive news. In an advertisement in the edition of Middelburgsche Courant dated the 20th thanked surgeon USN Geo. O. Allen the Dutch mr. J.L. Pinto L.Jz. because of dental services.
The edition dated the 29 August reported her departure in the morning of the 27th towards England accompanied by the corvette Juanita. But not all American sailors went back to their mother country. The edition dated 31 August reported that a the American representative at Flushing requested to obtain the burial space in property and permission to place a memorial. Of her crew died five men and they were buried in Flushing. They were Fredrick Kloos, John Lemmon, Andrew Barr, Edward Schooler and John Green. Their memorial still exits nowadays.
The screw steam frigate USS Franklin was laid down in 1854 at the Portsmouth Navy Yard but not earlier launched as on 17 September ten years later. She was commissioned on 3 June 1867, served since 2 March 1877 as a receiving ship, for the last time decommissioned on 14 October 1915 and stricken ten days later and sold. She was part of the European Squadron and served as flagship of rear admiral William Radford when she departed on 28 January 1869 for her second voyage towards Europe returning on 30 September 1871.
