Born in Youngstown, Ohio on September 24,1849 became the first Naval Academy cadet appointed by Congressman James A. Garfield.

As a Lieutenant in 1884 Harber volunteered to go to Siberia to recover the bodies of Lieutenant Commander George Washington DeLong and his crew that had taken the USS Jeannette on a scientific expedition to find a  way to the North Pole via the Bering Strait.  The ship became trapped in an ice pack which drifted and eventually crushed the ship.  Harber was able to reach the remaining crew and the bodies of crewmen of the Jeannette and provide for their return. 

In October of 1903 he too command of the USS New Orleans, relieving Captain Charles Sperry.  His next command was the USS Independence from October 1905 to July 1907 when he took command of the USS Maines.  In December, the Maine and her crew departed Hampton Roads for San Francisco via the Straits of Magellan.  

After arriving in San Francisco, USS Maine and Alabama were replaced in the fleet by USS Wisconsin and USS Nebraska.  Main and Alabama were sent ahead of the fleet, Rear Admiral Harber as Commander Third Division of the Pacific Squadron.  In May he was received by the Mayor of Tokyo months before the 16-battleships would arrive.

In August 1908, as Rear-Admiral, Giles assumed command of the Asiatic Squadron in ceremonies in Manila and hoisted his flag on the USS Rainbow.

On February 19, 1910 he was appointed Commander in Chief, United States Pacific Fleet, relieving Rear Admiral Uriel Sebree.

Reaar Admiral Harber died in Youngstown, Ohio in 1925.