Experiments on the visibility and audibility of torpedo boats were made off Newport by the United States torpedo boat Cushing. In the first experiment the Cushing steamed out from the shore at night with a strong searchlight directed at her, and at a distance of 1000 yards the Cushing was no longer visible to the observers on the shore. A second experiment was conducted in order to determine the distance at which the Cushing could be detected by her engine noise. The report produced as a result of these experiments stated that: "Eight hundred yards is the maximum torpedo range, and a speedy craft would make great progress inside of this before guns could be trained upon her; so it was still questionable whether the searchlight is much of a safeguard against attack from torpedo boats.