AIRWAY, an artery of a mine, along which the ventilation is conducted. The districts branching from the fresh air "intakes" are ventilated by "splits" taken off the main airway. The cur rent conducted along the branch or district intakes, round the "working face," returns by the district "return airway," enters the main "return airway" and proceeds thence to the upcast shaft up which it is drawn to the surface by fans. This is the practice in coal-mining in Great Britain. In France the ventila tion is generally carried out by compression, that is by fans forcing the air down the "downcast" shaft and through the work ings to the "upcast." The position, number and arrangement of the airways in an ideal coal mine are shown in the figure overleaf, as well as the manner in which the air is "split" for district ventilation. (See also COAL-MINING : Ventilation.) See Diagram overleaf. (R. R.)