founder v Cp OED ~ 3 'to fall down, give way.' To crumble, capsize, let fall, to cause to collapse.
   1891 PACKARD 147-8 A man told me, an iceberg 'as tall as a steeple' floated in as if to make a safe harbor, and became anchored within fifty yards of his 'stage.' Just after he and his family had gone to bed, the berg broke to pieces—'foundered.' M 68-24 We decided to founder [a pile of firewood] against the side of the house facing the cemetery. Q 71-3 The wall foundered last Friday killing three people. 1975 GUY 17 There are two methods for the proper foundering of cliffs. One is where you get down on the beach and keep chucking up rocks at a piece of cliff that is loose and almost ready to fall. Presently, it is dislodged and crashes down with quite an amusing roar and in a cloud of dust. The other method is to get up on top of the cliff and dislodge a loose piece either by chucking rocks at it, poking it with a stick, or, most trepid of all, getting someone to hold on to your arm while you reach down and kick it with your foot.

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