Blindbowman wrote:
i have found as many as a dozen destoryed buildings at the site
This detail might be something you could find on aerial photographs, ruins of old buildings are often easier to pick out from the air than from the ground; especially after a very long time. In fact talking about a dozen buildings, something of this size might even show on detailed topographic maps. USGS topos are great and detailed (even though they are now secretly erasing numerous back country springs and trails) but can show something quite wrong - I know of two instances where the maps showed "caves" and they were not caves but man-made tunnels - mines. So it is possible they might show on the map, and be un-recognized as what they are.
I don't have any conclusions about the poison hypothesis, however that is absolutely correct about the horse-trading trick. Arsenic is one of the few elements that can occur in nature as a pure element, and also in association with other metals in particular lead and silver. The Arabia district in Nevada is a good example of this type of mineral association. I would hesitate to identify the perceived effects as coming from a poison (natural or man-made) until something like a sample showed it to be present. Many different minerals have odors or aromas, and the described effects do not sound like a
toxic situation to me. (I am not a doctor, just my opinion) Remember no toxins cause pulled muscles or physical injuries like that. Why not send off a sample to have it both fire-assayed and a spectrographic analysis? It is not nearly as expensive as making another trip, and would provide clear answers about what is present in your sample. The cost is not prohibitive. What do you stand to lose?
Oroblanco