This historic excavation runs parallel to the main heading to carry fresh air to the working face or exhaust foul air out. Miners drove these smaller drifts alongside haulage tunnels, connecting them at intervals with crosscuts called thirls. Once a new thirl was cut, the previous one was sealed to force the draft further into the workings.
We need to clear the rockfall in the old air-head before the gas builds up in the lower level.
While historic texts use this term frequently, veteran miners usually just call any dedicated ventilation drift an airway or a return.
Also heard as
- airway
- windway
Related terms
Airway
Any underground gallery, drift, or shaft designated specifically for routing ventilation air through a mine.
Windway
A dedicated tunnel or passage used to route ventilation air through a mine.
Thirl
To cut through the final pillar of rock or coal separating two underground workings.
Heading
A horizontal tunnel or gallery being driven into an ore body or coal seam.