Daily Kennebec journal., 1911-01-25
CAPT. CHAS. BARR
Dies Of Heart Trouble
Tuesday atSouthampton.
Most Famous Yachting Captain
In The Whole World.
Sailed TO Victory in Best OF the
Americas Cup Races.

Southampton, Eng, Jan. 2l.-Iap-
tain Charles Barr. the noted American
|yachtman died suddenly OF heart
trouble here today.
Captain Barr had been in this coun-
try since last spring, when he brought
over his last command, the schooner
Westward, built by the Herrashoifs
for \. s. Cochran of the New York
Club. With the Westward captain
Barr won many trophies at the re-
eattas at kiel and Cowes last sum-
me.
His success as skipper of the de-
tenders OF the American cups gave
him Il high place in European yacht
ing circles, from which news If his
death called forth many expressions
Of keen regret.
Boston, Jan. 24.-"Charlie" Barr
was practically born in a boat and
he spent the greater part of his A.
years close to the water and at near
ly all times with his hand on the till
er or the wheel. He was born at
Gourock, Scotland, Jan. IL. 1864. the
son OF successful Scottish boat
builder. He sailed small boats about
the firths of Scotland until 1914 when
he brought the famous Customer Cla-
ra TO this country. He sailed her
successfully III american waters and
followed her the next year with the
Shona.
His first experience in America s
cup races, which afterwards brought
him his greatest fame. was on the
Scotch challenger Thistle in 1857.
when ne was one of the mates. while
his brother, John Barr, was the skip-
per. The defeat of the Thistle did
not discourage the Barrs. for Char
lie" Barr returned two years later
with the famous Minerva. with which
he won in 1889, Il firsts out of %
starts and in 1890 10 frSts out Of IL
starts.
His first American boat was the
Burgess sloop Oweene. in 1891, and
"a year later he commanded the sec
ond of the 46-foot Herreshoff pro-
ductions, the Wasp. The Royal Phelps
Carroll sent him to England on the
Navahoe in 1898, and he had his first
experience on the Navahoe of cross
ing the Atlantic on n yacht. The
following year he sailed the Glorianna
and in 1895 again entered Americas s
cup competitions, when he handled the
|2year-old Nigilant against the new
|ly built Defender in the trial races
off Sandy Hook.
A second trip TO England was made il
1886, when he commanded Howard
Goulds Niagara in fairly successful
season in British waters. Two years lat
er he trod the deck of "two-sticker''
when he took charge of the schooner
Coline.
Then came Charlie" Bars real ad-
vent into Americas cup defence, for in
1899 he was selected from a score of skip
pers to handle the famous Columbia and
sent Sir Thomas Lipton's Shamrock
back TO England badly defeated.
After a year on 70-footer. Barr was
called back to the Columbia in 1901 and
won an uphill fight in beating out the
Constitution, a newer boat, in the race
for the Americas cup defence.
A sailing duel that year between Barr
on the Columbia and Rhoades on the
Constitution was regarded as the grand
est fight in American yachting annals.
The Shamrock II met the fate of her sis
ter.
The Reliance year of 1903 put Charlie
Barr in command of the greatest sloop
yacht ever constructed and the Sham
rock II in the lsst race could not find the
finish line, while Barr held the Reliance
straight and true to victory.
The steel nerves of the little Scotch
man were sought by Wilson Marshall,
when in 1905 Barr was given the wheel OF
the three master Atlantic for the ocean
race against 13 others for the Emperor's
cup. The Atlantic was the first at the
finish.
During the past five years Charlie
Barr's life had been less strenuous, al
though he had a particularly active sea-
son last year in England ON the big
schooner Westward.
Charlie Barr was shy, reticent but
sharp in command and always in full
charge of the deck. He became a natu-
rallied American in Boston in 1899 and
made New London his home.