Polish Stratosphere Balloon Explodes -- The giant gasbag of the balloon being inflated, showing the peculiarly striped gondola in foreground.An explosion on Friday resulted in the burning of nearly the whole of the gasbag of the world's biggest balloon, which was being prepared for a stratosphere flight at Zakopane, Poland. Several soldiers who were helping to inflate the balloon were slightly injured. The gondola of the balloon was undamaged. October 16, 1938. (Photo by Keystone).