Here you go again, Robot my friend, expanding the story to fit your pet theory.
While is dies mention "thousands of shards" it does not state "thousands of LARGE flasks containing a large quantity of liquid silver" but "traces of a liquid silver residue".
Traces are not considered a large quantity by any measurement.
Incidentally, Robot, are you aware that every doctor's bag during the 18-19th centuries contained flasks of mercury?
It was used as a cure for a certain disease common to sailors and other professions, and I'll give you a hint- it was NOT for Gold Fever.